


is this the end of us (or just the means to start again?)

by smittenkittenbucky



Category: One Direction, One Direction (Band)
Genre: AND ITS NOT MENTIONED BUT HARRY AND LOUIS R THE SAME AGE, AU, Alternate Universe - Bounty Hunters, Bottom Louis, Bounty Hunters, DONT KILL ME FOR MY LACK OF ZIALL, M/M, Marriage, The Bounty Hunter AU, also dont read for only ziall too, also this is set in new jersey and they all have jersey accents, both 26, but ok anyways lets ignore that, except niall bc niall wouldnt be niall without his irish accent, i wish for so much more ziall, so dont read for smut, there is no smut until the very end, those r some spoilers for you, which is probably wrong for their occupations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-20 16:44:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 31,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2435759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenkittenbucky/pseuds/smittenkittenbucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“An open bond just came in. But you know what, your thing sounds a lot more fun. Don't worry about it, I'll find somebody else.” Paul waved him off.</p>
<p>“Woah, hold up, man, I need this gig. Come on, I'm in the hole!”</p>
<p>“You're always in the hole!”</p>
<p>“What's your point?” Harry questioned, fuming.</p>
<p>“My point is, that I don't know if you're the right person for the job.” Paul explained. “This thing could be a disaster.” He stood back up and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. “But you asked for it.” Paul smirked, hanging the folded paper over to the man.</p>
<p>Harry looked at him confusedly. Then he opened the paper that was given to him, gawking at what was printed inside. “Is this a joke?” Harry asked, very seriously.</p>
<p>“Nope.”</p>
<p>On the paper that Harry held in his hand, was a profile for the last man he thought would be arrested, let alone skip bail. His ex-husband, Louis Tomlinson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello beautiful people and thank you for rEADING THIS. this is my first fic so bare with me. everyone is not who they are in real like. cough cough thats an AU for ya. harry and louis r super mean to each other and fricking oblivious and so dang stupid so thats a warning
> 
> I COULDNT HAVE DONE THIS WITH OUT MY AMAZING BETAS ABBY (ur cooler than zac efron) AND ALAYNA (UR SO GREAT THANKS FOR DOIN THIS)
> 
> and also if you enjoyed it you should follow me on tumblr (even if you didnt enjoy it - FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AS MUCH HATE AS YOU WANT) my sucky blog is [smittenkittenlouis](http://www.smittenkittenlouis.tumblr.com)
> 
> ok theres not any smut until the epilogue that will be posted later as in like next week later SO IF YOU MIND WAITING YA

Thick, white smoke filled the car that was cruising down the highway. Harry coughed, only _slightly_ panicking.  
  
“Lou? Louis? You alright back there?” Harry yelled, hoping that Louis could hear him. He got no response and the smoke in the air became thicker as Harry coughed harder. That's when he pulled over to the side of the rode. Shit, this was just what he needed today.  
  
Harry got out of the car, breathing in the fresh air and making his way towards the trunk of the car. He opened the hatch, finding the source of the smoke under the hood. Did he really forget to take the flares out of the trunk? Again?  
  
Something small and fast darted past him, into the field of grass in which Harry pulled the car into, but not before a punch to the balls.  
  
Harry grunted and fell to his knees.  
  
“Did you really think I was gonna stay in there the whole fucking time?” Louis laughed menacingly as he dashed his way to the tall, dead weeds.  
  
Meet Louis Tomlinson, a dedicated reporter, an ex-husband and an unlikely, wanted felon.  
  
“Louis!” Harry got up and ran after him, at least as fast as his skinny jean clad legs could carry him.  
  
Meet Harry Styles, an ex-cop, money-owing gambler and a man who was very good at his bounty hunting job. Also an ex-husband.  
  
The man tackled Louis and they both fell onto the ground. So this is what divorced couples do?  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
  
 **24 hours earlier**  
  
“Bingo.” Harry mumbled to himself.  
  
The deafening cheers and Fourth-of-July parade music filled the curly haired man's ears as he spotted his next pay, a man on stilts dressed as Uncle Sam.  
  
“Hey, Sam!” He yelled.  
  
“Hey!” the Uncle Sam lookalike yelled back, waving.  
  
“Hey, yeah, you, you ding-dong,” The sheer look of terror in the man's eyes told Harry that he knew who he was. And Sam took off running in the other direction. “Come here!”  
  
“Surprise!” A peppy blond jumped in Harry's way. He sighed.  
  
“Not now, Niall. I'm kinda busy.” He said, gesturing to the man who was quickly getting away.  
  
“You owe me boss a lot of money.” He stated simply, his Irish accent as strong as ever.  
  
Harry just chuckled and said, “I owe everybody money.”  
  
“Sorry, man.” Niall whispered and shook his head as he punched Harry in the gut. The bounty hunter grunted in pain and bent over, then, efficiently hitting the other in the sack, straightening up, head butting him and throwing him over a table stacked with cups of beer, angering the men around the table as it splashed everywhere.  
  
“Yeah, me too.”  
  
  
  
Harry recovered a bit from the small fight and then took off in the direction of the stilted Sam.  
  
“Are you really going to make me chase you?” He mumbled to himself. Harry followed the red, white and blue through seas of marching bands and floats, trying the catch up so he could take him in.  
  
The man lost his stilts when he jumped through a window, now out of sight and only in his boxers and the top part of the costume.  
  
Harry ran up the stairs to reach the apartment the man fell into, only to find a locked door. He took the stairs back down outside and over to the side of the building, onto the fire escape, making his way up to the roof, where surely the Uncle Sam imposter was. Harry was just that good.  
  
They played cat and mouse all the way to the ledge, where Sam jumped off, onto a police stand-by van, alerting everyone around, including the cops. Harry followed him.  
  
The impacted on the van made the two bounce off, onto the hard, unforgiving, hot pavement of ground. And _fuck_ , that really hurt.  
  
They were surrounded by the men in blue uniforms, all pointing pistols at the two idiots who just jumped off a building.  
  
“Hands behind your head, now!” The one yelled.  
  
“Easy, skippy.” Harry assured him, “I'm on the job.” He rolled over and cautiously took his badge out of the back of his pocket to show the man.  
  
“Oh, wow, look at this. A bounty hunter,” He threw the badge back at the curly haired man, “figures. Why don't you get a real job?”  
  
Harry stood up and retorted, “Why don't you kiss my ass?” He mentally high-fived himself.  
  
He turned around to help the imposter-Sam up and bent his arms behind his back and continued to cuff him.  
  
“Your mother must be very, very proud.” Harry said, sarcastically, as he was very witty when he was arresting people.  
  
“Oh, I'm so insulted.” The man said, “You know, for your information, I don't even know who my mother is. So the joke is on you.”  
  
Harry chuckled and returned to arresting the man until the same cop came up to him with a pair of handcuffs in his hand and said, “Turn around, hands behind your back.”  
  
“What?” Harry spluttered.  
  
“You heard me, let's go.”  
  
“Oh, you've got to be kidding me.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Hey, Aiden. You got my email?” Louis Tomlinson walked into the office, his home away from home.  
  
“About the suicide, yeah? He's got a sister in Atlantic City, address is on your desk!”  
  
“Thank you!” He called as he walked towards his cubicle.  
  
“Anytime!” Aiden sighed, oh-so obviously checking out the man's bum as he walked away. “Day or night.” He mumbled.

 

 

  
Louis, unscathed and used to the unwanted attention, made it to his workplace and sat down, immediately taking notice of the poster on his black computer screen.  
  
“Ha. Ha ha. Very funny.” He fake laughed as he tore off the offensive piece of paper. It was his NYCPD poster, recognizing his arrest. There was also a sticky note reminding him “ **Don't forget - court tomorrow, 9am. Love, Mr Ed.** ” Which was good because he nearly forgot.  
  
“You know, I actually think it's pretty sexy that you're out on bail.” An annoying voice tried to husk in his ear as the owner sat down on Louis' desk.  
  
“Nick, get off my desk.”  
  
“Oh, right, I forgot, sorry.” The man got down and walked across the aisle to his own desk.  
  
“It's ridiculous that I was even arrested in the first place.” Nick hummed in agreement. “I mean, assaulting an officer? It's a _joke_!”  
  
“Yeah. Oh, tell me about it. Been there.” Nick said. “Hey, did you ever get anything going on that suicide story?” He asked.  
  
“No.” Louis was only half listening at this point, already fast at work on his computer.  
  
“Because, you know what I was thinking?” Nick continued, “Maybe we should work on it together, as a team, you know?” Louis hummed, apparently at the right time. “Woodward-Bernstein style. Yeah. That way, you can knock it out just that much faster. Plus, it would give us time to, uh, reconnect our relationship.”  
  
“Nick, we are not in a relationship.” Louis rolled his eyes, still trained on his computer. “We made out one time at the Christmas party. I was very drunk, and I was heartbroken. Honestly, I would've made out with Terry.” Though, Louis shuddered at the thought.  
  
“Wait, you mean Terry the girl or Terry the guy?”  
  
Louis huffed a laugh, “Exactly. It really wouldn't have mattered.”  
  
“You're right. It wouldn't have mattered.” Nick chuckled. _Finally_. “Because you made out with me.” Louis sighed.  
  
“Mhmm. I did. Alright, I'm gonna use the bathroom.” And with that, Louis escaped from the clutches of his desk neighbor.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“ _This is Greg._ ” A voice came from the other end of the line.  
  
“Greg, Louis from Modest! News.”  
  
“ _Louis? Long time, no talk. Where’ve you been hiding yourself?_ ”  
  
Louis mentally chuckled, sitting on a toilet in the bright pink stall (yes, he is in the ladies bathroom. He can get away with anything at work, and the girls already love him. Plus, it’s cleaner.), “Funny, right now I’m actually hiding in the bathroom at work. Listen, I need you to ask around about a suicide. A Walter Lily, Rivington Street, the night of June 23rd _.”_  
  
“ _Twenty-three_ ,” Louis heard Greg mumbling to himself, hopefully as he wrote the precious information down, “ _Anything else?_ ”  
  
“Uh, yes, yes, I have proof that there was a black SUV with stolen plates parked at the scene. It might be something, you never know.” Louis rubbed the bottom of his lip with his thumb, a little too excited about the dirt Greg was about to dig up for him.  
  
“ _Alright, cool. If I find anything, I’ll give you a shout._ ”  
  
“Okay, great. Thanks.”  
  
Louis hung up and then almost dropped his phone when he heard, “Who you talking to?”  
  
“Nick!” Louis jumped up and got out of the stall to find Nick standing right in front of him.  
  
“What are you doing in the ladies room?”  
  
“Technically, I could ask you the same thing. But you see, I was-” the automatic toilets went off at this moment, startling the tall man. Louis might have grinned a little to himself. Nick continued, “Well, you know, I was standing out over in front of the door, then I started to feel a little creepy.”  
  
“And this is the _less_ creepy option?”  
  
“Yeah, I think so.”  
  
“Get out of here.” Louis made his way out of the stall and over towards the sinks, and Nick followed him.  
  
“Oh, come on. Hey, let me buy you a drink.” He said.  
  
“I have a date.” Louis stated, shortly.  
  
“But I didn’t even say what night!”  
  
“Alright, well then, I have a date every night until the end of time! So just please stop asking me!” Louis shouted at him.  
  
“Love is so funny, isn’t it?” Nick chuckled. Louis just left the restroom with a frustrated scream.

 

 

  
Louis was on top of the crime scene building on Rivington Street. Louis walked over to the corner edge of the roof, leaning over the railing. He looked around and then pulled out his phone, which was ringing in his pocket.  
  
“Hey, mom.” He answered.  
  
“ _Is this a bad time?_ ” Her voice filtered into his ear.  
  
“Well, I’m actually, uh, I’m actually kind of in the middle of something.” He said, “But you know what, while I have you on the phone. If you were going to jump off of a building, would you choose the side with trees or would you choose the side with a straight shot to the cement?” He needed another person’s point of view.  
  
“ _Well, the trees would certainly be prettier on the way down, kind of a nice last picture. But it might break your fall, and you could end up as a vegetable and I don’t think I could take that on._ ” She said, thoughtfully.  
  
“So, the cement then?”  
  
“ _Definitely. Why do you ask?_ ”  
  
“Well, I’m on a rooftop at 6th and Rivington, I was wondering-” But the woman suddenly cut him off.  
  
“ _Now you listen here, young man. You have every right to hate your life._ ”  
  
“Wha--Mom?”  
  
“ _I mean, God, who wouldn’t, after some of the choices you’ve made._ ” She continued, taking on a very serious tone of voice.  
  
“Mom.”  
  
“ _And that whole thing with Harry,_ ”  
  
“Mom!” Louis finally got her attention.  
  
“ _What?_ ”  
  
“I’m working.”  
  
“ _Oh._ ”  
  
“I’m gonna call you later,” Louis said, massaging his forehead with his free hand.  
  
“ _Well, okay. Just to clarify, you know, we all make mistakes, and you married a man who made you crazy, and divorced him for the same reason. You just have to--_ ” And with that, Louis hung up on his mother.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Liam walked into the police station, and reached the head cop. “I’ll take the big, ugly one,” He said, gesturing over towards the holding cell.  
  
Harry semi smiled, as he was just extremely exhausted.

 

 

  
“You know, I do not like getting these calls.” And here comes the lecture.  
  
Harry took a big bite of his burger and said with a full mouth, “I would bail you out if you ever got in trouble!”  
  
“But, you can’t, because you aren’t a cop anymore.”  
  
“And, what do you mean, ‘these calls’, huh? That’s only the second time you bailed me out. ‘These’ implies way more than two.” Harry continued to rant.  
  
“Look. I know that this is a very tough time of the year for you.” Liam started.  
  
“What are you talking about?” Harry took another bite. “It’s summer, who doesn’t love summer?” He said, food falling from his mouth and hopefully grossing out the man next to him so they don’t have to talk about this.  
  
“And I am trying to be sensitive to your situation.” Liam said anyway.  
  
“Oh, what? A guy who works his own hours? Has his freedom? Lives the high life?” Harry said, still trying to change the subject.  
  
“Have you talked to him?” And there it is.  
  
“Talked to who?” No, no, no, Liam was not winning this.  
  
“Barack Obama, who do you think?” Liam sarcastically stated.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. “Why the hell would I have talked to him?”  
  
“You know what, maybe I should have left your ass in jail.” Liam said.  
  
“Would you relax? I’m fine.” _Can this just be over with?_ Harry took the last bite and drank his bottle of Coke.  
  
“Oh, you’re fine? No, you are not fine, okay? You are a man in pain. And how the hell do you think that makes me feel, since I’m the one who set you guys up?”  
  
“I guess that makes this whole thing your fault, huh?” Harry smirked.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis walked out of the taxi in front of the court house at 8:55am, finding his lawyer already waiting for him.  
  
“Hello! You’re late!” The woman said.  
  
“Only fashionably.” Louis replied.  
  
“You better take this seriously, Mr. Tomlinson. It’s you against the N.Y.P.D.”  
  
“How can I take this seriously, Eleanor?” Louis started, “It’s a fender bender!”  
  
“Well, you have four minutes.” She said, walking up the steps into the building.  
  
Louis’ phone rang in his bag – _no it is not a purse shut up_. “Oh wait, hold on, I’ve got to take this.”  
  
“Four minutes!” She exclaimed.  
  
“This will only take one, and then we’ll have three!” Louis rolled his eyes at the official looking woman.  
  
“Hello?” He answered the rings.  
  
“ _It’s Greg. I’ve got something for you_.”  
  
“Oh, hi. Great, listen, I need to call you back in an hour.”  
  
“ _This can’t wait, Louis. I might already be in trouble with this shit._ ”  
  
“Greg, I’m kind of in some hot water myself over here.” Louis said, stressing out already about how he was going to get this story when he has court to attend.  
  
“ _Dunkin Doughnuts, Sunset Park, under the BQE. Half an hour. Bring cash, five hundred, or else I’m selling it to someone else._ ”  
  
“No, Greg, wait--” Dial tone. “Ugh!” Louis huffed, pulling the phone away from his ear.  
  
“Okay, let’s go.” Eleanor said, impatiently. And she had every reason to be.  
  
“Okay, no, I have to make one more phone call!”  
  
“Louis.”  
  
“Eleanor, just go on in,” Louis waved, “I will be right behind you, I promise!” His fingers flew across his phone.  
  
“When the judge calls your case, you better be sitting right next to me.”  
  
  
  
Louis’ taxi pulled into the Dunkin Doughnuts’ parking lot. In Louis’s hand sat five hundred dollars cash, ready to buy the information off of his informant.  
  
Louis had just stepped out of the yellow car when a huge black truck sped out of the parking lot and down the street.

  
–––––––––––––  
  
A “ _Damn it, how many retainers do I have to buy? They’re twins for God’s sake!_ ” and a door slam woke Harry up on the couch. He groaned. “ _Tell him to borrow his brother’s!_ ” A key in the hole unlocked the door to Higgin's Bail Bonds, Harry’s work place, and also where he crashed last night. His boss liked him.  
  
A large man walked in and turned on the lights. He saw Harry lying there, a bit awkwardly with his head on an arm rest and his legs sticking out on the small love seat.  
  
“Hey, princess, you’re drooling on my sofa.” He said. Harry groaned again, a bit louder. “You do have an apartment, don’t you? With a bed of some kind?”  
  
Harry sat up, blinking steadily and trying to wake up from the not-so fitting sleep he had last night.  
  
“Teresa will be in here any second.” Paul said. “I supposed you wanna get paid?”  
  
Harry stretched and yawned. “Yeah, well, I got him, didn't I?”  
  
Paul just laughed, like it was funny.

 

 

Harry found himself watching Paul pack up the back of his car with camping gear, a story that he was now telling how he got roped into doing it.  
  
“And so I said to her, ‘they’re my kids, if anyone is going to take them camping, I am.’ Which she took literally, as opposed to the spirit in which it was said.”  
  
“The spirit of bullshit?” Harry supplied.  
  
“Sure.” Paul sighed. “Got any plans for the long weekend?” He changed the subject.  
  
“The usual.” Harry said.  
  
“What, getting drunk on cheap whiskey and putting your fist through a wall?”  
  
Harry snorted, “Jealous?”  
  
“No, no, I understand, Fourth of July and all. Don't worry, I'll get somebody else.” Paul said, somewhat wistfully.  
  
“Somebody else for what?”  
  
“An open bond just came in. But you know what, your thing sounds a lot more fun. Don't worry about it, I'll find somebody else.” Paul waved him off.  
  
“Woah, hold up, man, I need this gig. Come on, I'm in the hole!”  
  
“You're always in the hole!”  
  
“What's your point?” Harry questioned, fuming.  
  
“My point is, that I don't know if you're the right person for the job.” Paul explained, bending over and stuffing more sleeping bags in the car. “This thing could be a disaster.” He stood back up and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. “But you asked for it.” Paul smirked, hanging the folded paper over to the man.  
  
Harry looked at him confusedly. Then he opened the paper that was given to him, gawking at what was printed inside. “Is this a joke?” Harry asked, very seriously.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
On the paper that Harry held in his hand, was a profile for the last man he thought would be _arrested_ , let alone skip bail. His ex-husband, Louis Tomlinson.  
  
“You're fucking kidding me. He got arrested?”  
  
“I don't understand it myself, but all I know is that he skipped bail.” Paul said, laughingly, walking back over to the pile of stuff waiting to be shoved in the trunk.  
  
“Well, why the hell did you post it?” Harry exclaimed at the boss.  
  
“Hey, I'm a businessman, I don't have time to wait for you.” The man said, carrying the camping supplies over to his car. “All I know is that I'm out fifty thousand if he isn't in that courtroom by Monday morning.”  
  
“You're telling me, that I get five grand to go pick up my ex-husband and take him to jail?” Harry recounted.  
  
“You're a good listener!”  
  
Harry laughed, just taking in the moment. He gets to face his awful ex, take him in, and get paid for it! “Woohoo! Yes! Yes!” Harry jumped up and down, fist pumping the air.  
  
“I take it you're interested.” Paul asked.  
  
“Oh, am I interested! Yes, yes, yes!” Harry hugged the man, jumping into his arms while Paul tried not to fall over. “You are the best friend any man could ever have!” Harry kissed the man's cheek.  
  
“Alright, alright. I know.” Paul said, pushing him off.  
  
Teresa walked out of Higgins', chewing her bubble gum as obnoxiously as she always does. “Harry, here's your check for--”  
  
Harry cut her off, taking her into his arms and dipping her into a passionate kiss as she squeaked on impact.  
  
“Okay, okay,” she mumbled into his lips, Harry finally releasing her and standing her up right. “Can I have my gum back?”  
  
Harry took the gum out of his mouth and slipped it back into hers, regretting his previous action already. Teresa walked back through the door like nothing ever happened. Harry turned back to Paul.  
  
“You know what this is? This, baby, is karma.” He said, breathlessly.  
  
“Okay, are you sure you can handle this?” Paul was really concerned about this man's mental health, seeing as he just made out with a married woman, twenty years his senior on a whim because he gets to take his ex to jail.  
  
“Why wouldn't I?”  
  
“Because it's him, and around him you aren't exactly rational.”  
  
“Sweetheart, I won't even break a sweat.” Harry laughed, obnoxiously celebrating and taking off.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Harry was ready for this, he thought as he brushed his teeth thoroughly. He was running on adrenaline, nothing could stop him now if they tried. He put on his best flannel, the kind that Louis always liked to wear when they had lazy days, and suited up for the best Fourth of July weekend he could ever dream of having.  
  
He grabbed his bag and walked out of his apartment building, waving to his neighbors while hopping in his proud, bright blue, Delta 88 Royale convertible and driving off to Louis' place of residence, the house that he and Louis used to share.  
  
He tried buzzing himself in, but quickly found that Louis wasn't home. So, he did what any logical man would do, and jumped through the bushes and over the wall into the backyard. He fell hard on his ass, but honestly, that was just a small price to pay.  
  
Harry proudly strolled onto the concrete patio, leaving muddy footprint from his boots everywhere. _Karma_.  
  
He walked through the unlocked back door and into Louis's fancily decorated kitchen. Of course. Harry walked through the kitchen, but not before taking a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter.  
  
He then made his way to the spit spot clean living room, only then noticing the mud he was leaving anywhere. Two years ago, he would have freaked out and cleaned it up right away, but today, Harry just laughed and did an electric slide into the bathroom.  
  
All the toothbrushes he dropped into the toilet, and put them back. All the lube, he emptied out into the bathtub and all of the condoms he found, he opened and put them on every phallic shaped surface he could find.  
  
He then made his way into the bedroom, found the stash of Doritos that Louis always insisted on having in his nightstand and dumped them into a pile on the white bed. Harry laid down next to the pile and munched as he deleted all of the reality TV shows that Louis recorded on his DVR until he heard a noise coming from the front door. He wiped his hands and mouth off onto a pillow and went to go check it out.  
  
He had his gun in his hand and went down the hallway and about to turn into the kitchen.  
  
“Hello, love.” He said as he turned the corner, pointing his gun at the man.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis opened the door to the apartment and began his look around. He checked out the living room, stepped into the bathroom, turned the corner into the hallway and into the bedroom as well. He heard a noise, picked up a picture frame and waited at the doorframe, ready to attack whoever goes there.  
  
He never heard another noise, so he turned the corner himself, only to be jumped on by an abnormally large cat.  
  
“Oh, God, kitty? You scared the shit out of me!”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
The man back away from Harry, as the latter spluttered when he found a strangely tall man in Louis's house.  
  
“I was, uh, I was in the neighborhood. And I had lent him some paintbrushes some months ago. And he refuses to--” Harry was getting tired of the man, (Nick, was it?) trying to stutter his way through explaining why he was in his Louis's home, so he pointed the gun at him once again, trying to speed up the process.  
  
Nick put his hands up and waved them around, cringing from the sight of a loaded gun being pointed directly at him. “Okay! Okay, okay, okay, look, look! He didn't show up to court today.” Harry took the gun away. “And, I think it's because he has a lead on some story. And I wanna work on it with him as a team because I--” Nick cut himself off. “I'm hoping it will help us solidify,” He stopped again, seemingly searching for words. “...our thing.” He finished.  
  
Harry gave him the most incredulous look, and then said, “Are you sleeping with him, Nick?”  
  
Nick breathed heavily for a moment before answering with a pathetic, “We have a history.”  
  
Harry shortly let out a full blown, head thrown back, cackle. “A history, huh?” He chuckled a bit more. “Yeah, good luck with that.” He said, waving his gun around.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Don't be such a wuss. I said I was sorry!” Louis was bent down, head underneath the bed, actually apologizing to a cat that wasn't even his. It meowed back to him anyway, still staying put under the mattress.  
  
“Come on, kitty, kitty, kitty!” He chanted in a high pitched voice, but the feline only hissed back.  
  
“You're not Greg!” A woman's voice broke Louis's concentration, making him whip his head up to see where it was coming from.  
  
His eyes met with a middle aged lady with curlers in her hair. “No, I'm not! But I'm looking for him.”  
  
“Under the bed?” She said, meticulously.  
  
“Maybe you can help me!”  
  
“I can't fit under there.”  
  
“No, I mean-”  
  
The woman cut Louis off and crossed her arms. “Who are you?”  
  
“I'm his, uh, I'm his, uh, his fiancé. Yeah.” Louis seriously said, inwardly cringing at himself. He was not going to get away with this, because Greg was most certainly straight.  
  
“You're Lakeisha?” _Oh, yeah, hello jail_.  
  
“Yeah! That would be me, Lakeisha, in the flesh.” He was honestly just making things worse.  
  
“Mhm. Sure. Well, I'm calling the police.” She rolled her eyes and then began to walk away. She took that better than expected.  
  
“No, no, wait! Greg's in trouble, okay?” Louis fessed up.  
  
“What kind of trouble?” The woman sighed, as if she has heard all of this before. “Money trouble? Drug trouble?”  
  
“Oh, well, I don't--”  
  
The woman leaned up against the doorway, “Sex-change trouble?” Most certainly straight.  
  
Louis tipped his head to the side and thought for a second. “I don't really know, I just know that he's missing.”  
  
“Oh well,” The lady said, straightening back up, “I had a lousy week too. My cousin Linda fell off the cruise ship.”  
  
“Oh, wow, I'm so sorry.” How does he get himself into these situations?  
  
The woman just shrugged and said, “Well, a grown woman's ought to know how to swim.”  
  
“She-?” Louis stopped himself, thought better of it and then hummed. “Mhm, yes, I hear you. Now, would you mind if I took a quick look around just to see if I can find some clue as to where he might be?” He gave her his best smile.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“You see, the thing is, Nick, is that he’ll make you think he’s interested in you. But really, he’s only interested in his big, hotshot career.” Harry said, digging around in the fridge.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Nick said, enthusiastically nodding his head along to Harry’s words. “Wait, oh! You’re Harry. You’re Harry, right? Louis talks about you all the time.”  
  
Harry looked up, surprised. “Really?” He said.  
  
“Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, man, absolutely.” Harry smiled and chuckled, walking to the other side of the room. “Yeah, he hates you.”  
  
The smile fell instantly from his face.  
  
“Wait, what do you mean?” Harry turned around, a shocked look on his face. “He hates me?”  
  
“Oh, yeah. Big time. Yeah.” Nick pondered a bit, then said, “He says you’re like, the most selfish, immature, uh--”  
  
“Wait, I’m selfish?” Harry cut the other man off, selfishly.  
  
“Yeah. Stubborn.” He continued.  
  
“I’m immature?” Harry said, incredulously.  
  
“Well, I don’t know,” Nick waved his hand, “that’s what he says.”  
  
“You know what? Forget it. Okay? I’m not even gonna dignify that with...whatever.” Harry said, shaking his head and going back to looking around the living room, and picking up the phone.  
  
“Oh yeah.” Nick agreed. Harry was getting really sick of his ‘oh yeah’s. “Hey, look, I’m on your team, man.”  
  
“No, you’re not. I don’t allow _reporters_ on my team.” He spit the word out, disgustedly. “Oh, and for the record, I’m the one who hates him.” Nick nodded, uncomfortably putting his hands into his tight pockets. “Okay? So just shut up and stop pissing me off.”  
  
“Okay, sorry.”  
  
Harry pressed the “ **REDIAL** ” button on the landline. The phone rang for a minute, before answering with a “ _Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City. How may I direct your call?_ ”  
  
Harry pressed a button and mumbled to himself, “Figures. Run to Mommy.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis walked back into the bathroom and looked around a bit for any clues he might find there. He went through piles and piles of Greg’s dirty clothes. Oh, the things he does for his job.  
  
He picked up a pair of jeans and looked into the pockets. His fingers touched something. He pulled it out and held it up to see it. It was a paper coaster, the logo on the front similar to the logo of the bar that Greg worked at. Louis flipped the coaster around and read what was written on the back.  
  
“ **Walter Lily** **  
Rivington 23** ”  
  
was written in blue pen, and in black sharpie under it said,  
  
“ **Audit** **  
evidence depository  
missing shit** ”  
  
“What audit?” Louis muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he thought.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
  
“ _Greg? You mean that bartender from O’Doul’s?_ ” Liam’s voice rang through the speakers of Louis’s phone.  
  
“Yeah, I’m really worried about him. His car was there, at McDonald’s, and his window was smashed.” Louis had his phone in one hand and his other on the steering wheel of his car. “There was just something not right.”  
  
“ _What was he looking into?_ ”  
  
“The suicide on Rivington a couple of weeks ago,” Louis sighed, “Something about it just does not add up.”  
  
“ _Why, what do you got?_ ” Liam's voice said slowly, hesitantly. Louis chose to ignore that.  
  
“Well, I was at traffic court the other day and I met this guy who swears that his car was parked at JFK, the night that he got a ticket on Rivington.”  
  
“ _Hm_ ,” Liam hummed, “ _Stolen plates_.”  
  
“Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.”  
  
” _Look_ ,” Liam started, “ _if I hear anything on the kid, I'll let you know. But you be careful okay?_ ”  
  
“Okay, great. Thanks, Li.” Louis hung up.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
After getting all the information Harry needed, he left the Tomlinson household and hopped in his car, on his way toward his next destination.  


  
The woman was lecturing her lighting guy when Harry walked into the comedy club where she performed every other night. She talking about how she needs to give off the illusion of youth that she doesn't have anymore.  
  
“Hello, Jay.” Harry said.  
  
She tore her attention away from the faulty lighting, resting her eyes over Harry. “Harry?” She said, bringing her hand up to cover her eyes from the spotlight. Harry waved, smiling wide.  
  
“Harry, sweetheart!” She exclaimed, climbing down from the stage, extending her arms out for an embrace. “Come and give your mother-in-law a hug!”  
  
“It's been a long time.” He said, going in for the hug, but before he could do that, the lady slapped his face. A loud _smack_ rang through the room. Jay's face turned serious, as did her voice when she said,  
  
“That's for being a shit and ruining my son's life.”  
  
“Your son's fine!” Harry gasped, rubbing his cheek.  
  
“Well, then, that's for ruining my life!” She reclaimed, and then laughed. “Come here!” She finally pulled him into an actual hug. Harry burrowed her in his arms, taking in her all-too familiar scent.  
  
  
  
  
“It's a shame you and Louis split up. What happened between you two devastated him.”  
  
The two were now sitting at a small table in the club.  
  
“Yeah, devastated him right to the top.” Harry snorted, taking a gulp of his beer.  
  
“He has done well, hasn't he?” She said proudly, also taking a sip of her drink. “Listen, Lou might be a strong, independent man on the outside, but on the inside, he's just a boy wanting to be loved by his man.” Jay said, drawing out her words. Harry looked down at his hands. “I mean, come on, such a beautiful couple and you threw it away.”  
  
Harry sighed as Jay continued, leaning back on her chair. “The grandchildren would have been angels. Not that I wanted grandchildren. You prick.”  
  
“I've missed you, Jay.” Harry said, truthfully. He loved Jay almost as much as he loved Louis, I mean how could he not? They were so similar in so many ways, and he always felt close to Jay, as close as he was with his own mother.  
  
Jay threw her head back and laughed, “I'm going to pretend I believe you.”  
  
Harry broke off his nostalgic mood, straightening up as he remembered why he was here in the first place. “I'm looking for your son.” He said, seriously.  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“And I know he called here.”  
  
“We were going to grab a bite to eat.” Jay said. “But he blew me off for some interview. He said he needed to go somewhere to 'suck up some luck'. Like I'm supposed to know what that means.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
A trumpet sounded as the horses were released onto the track, the crowd screaming and rooting for their winning horse.  
  
Louis sat alone on a bench, paying close attention and riffling through his papers. He wrote notes in his journal, staring intently at the coaster that Greg left behind. His phone rang.  
  
“Hello?” Louis answered offhandedly.  
  
“ _Listen, you're in some kind of trouble._ ” Nick's voice shrilled. “ _Now, where are you?”_  
  
“I'm in the city, actually.”  
  
The trumpet sounded again, surely alerting Nick. That was confirmed when he said, “ _No, you're not. You're here! You're at the track._ ”  
  
“You're here?” Louis freaked out, looking around as if to catch sight of the familiar tall quiff. “How did you know where I was?”  
  
“Hello, Louis.” A voice said behind him, as the other rang in his ear, “ _Well, let's just say, Nick knows what he's doing when it comes to following people._ ” Louis hung up on his coworker, whipping his head around to face the deep voice he knew too well. He sat in shock, eyes sweeping over how casually Harry was sitting next to him.  
  
“Hi, Harry.” Louis said, tentatively.  
  
Harry smirked, arms against the back of the bench. “Fancy seeing you here.” He mocked.  
  
“Yeah.” Louis said, leaning back a bit, taking in this whole situation. “Fancy, fancy that.”  
  
“How are you?” Harry asked politely, as if he was having a conversation with his nana and not his ex-husband that he hasn't talked to in the past two years.  
  
“Good. You?” Louis answered shortly.  
  
Harry just sarcastically shook his head and smiled wide, “Swell.” He replied. “Beautiful day.”  
  
Louis just hummed, still in shock. Harry checked out the reporter's clothes, face, body. “You look great.” He replied to the skinny jeans and red, scoop neck t-shirt Louis was wearing, along with a blazer that Harry was pretty sure used to belong to him. He wasn’t complaining, though. Harry stood up and walked in front of the man, leaning back on the bench behind him. “As beautiful as the day we first met.” Harry said, thinking back.  
  
Louis shyly smiled, looking down at his papers, collecting his stuff, putting it in his bags and sorting his face out before he looked back up. “This has been grand.” He said, shaking his head. “I don't know what you're up to, but I'm working.” Louis stood up, walking out of the aisle but Harry stopped him by propping his leg up on the bench in front of him.  
  
“Oh, working?” Harry smirked. “Me too.”  
  
Louis looked at the man, surprised. “I heard you got kicked off the force?”  
  
“You been checking up on me?” Oh, that ever present smirk.  
  
“Nope.” Louis said, popping the _P_.  
  
“Concerned about me?”  
  
“Uh, I haven't given you a thought, actually.” Louis said, trying to gain the upper hand.  
  
Harry just laughed, because he knew. “Trying to keep some small connection alive between us.” He pinched his fingers together, showing Louis.  
  
Louis sighed and looked down at the only thing making him continue the conversation. “Are you going to move this leg?” He said sternly.  
  
Harry ran his tongue over his teeth, looking around before meeting Louis' eyes. “Uh, no.”  
  
“I thought we'd behave like adults the first time we saw each other after the divorce.” Louis said. “But why would I think that, when only one of us is actually an adult?”  
  
Harry just changed the subject to the one at hand. “Like I said, I've been working. And what I do, is hunt down criminals. _Idiots_ ,” He emphasized, “who skip bail, specifically.”  
  
Louis threw his head back and laughed. “You're a bounty hunter?” He said, as if he didn't believe the man.  
  
“Yep,” He said with the biggest smile on his face, which you could hear in his voice, “and as much as it pains me to say this, and it really does,” He assured, nodding his head. “I gotta take you to jail.” He ended, dead serious.  
  
Louis looked at him, incredulously, before laughing with Harry joining in with him soon enough. “Oh, God, alright, come on. Who put you up to this?” Louis laughed again at the prank that was being pulled on him, but really, he needed to get back to this article. “Somebody at the paper?”  
  
“Nope! Just the good ol' state of New York. Shall we?” Harry went to grab Louis's arm, but he yanked it back just in time, realizing that this wasn't a joke.  
  
“Don't touch me!” He snapped, Harry backed off. “You really think you're taking me anywhere?”  
  
“No, not anywhere, just jail.”  
  
“Oh goddamn it, Harry, you don't seem to understand!” Louis exasperated, putting a hand up to his forehead, stressing out. “I am in the middle of something very important!”  
  
“Okay, tell you what.” Harry reasoned. “You wanna make a break for it, I will give you a ten-second head start, just for old time’s sake.”  
  
Louis looked up. “I am an adult, Harry.” He said, but Harry already started counting down.  
  
“Ten.”  
  
“Do you really think that I will-”  
  
“Nine. Eight.” The gates opened the horses to the track, another race starting as another trumpet sounded. “Seven.” Louis took off, bag in hand. Harry stayed put though, keeping his promise as he continued to count.  
  
“Six! Five!” Harry's voice got quieter and quieter as Louis got smaller in his vision. “Four, three, two.” He clapped his hands together. “One.” He took a deep breath and ran in the opposite direction.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis kept his eye behind him as he ran through the crowds of the race track. He ran as fast as he could until he ended up in some corridor, turning the corner and stopping in his tracks.  
  
Louis let out a surprised yelp and Harry said “Try again!” as he blocked Louis' escape yet again. Louis frustratingly huffed and turned the other way, running before Harry could catch up to him.  
  
Louis, who finally thought himself in the clear, slowed his sprint down to a walk as he respectively made his way through a crown of people eating at tables. He turned another corner, only to find Harry walking out with a bag of popcorn in hand.  
  
“Oh God!” Louis bumped into Harry's chest, who only gestured to his snack and said mockingly, “Extra salt, just the way you like it, babe.”  
  
Louis made another frustrated sound and knocked the popcorn out of Harry's hand before running in the opposite direction again. He was almost to the parking lot, so close to freedom when he knocked into another body, limbs wrapping around him.  
  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! I wanna help, just let me help!” Nick said as Louis squirmed out of the man's arms.  
  
“Jesus, Nick, no!” Louis breathed, sprinting to the taxis again.  
  
“Why'd you hang up on me?!” Nick yelled after him.  
  
Louis barely registered anything other than the wind rushing past him. He found a huge group of taxis and slowed down again, sure he wasn't going to get caught. “Taxi!” He yelled, throwing his arm into the air, alerting the drivers.  
  
Louis calmed his breathing and closed his eyes, walking towards the yellow vehicles when he heard tires screeching against the pavement. He opened his eyes to find a familiar old Delta 88 convertible, a ridiculous baby blue that Harry worshiped too much.  
  
“Oh shit.”  
  
“Get in the car!” The driver yelled.  
  
“I am not going to jail.” Louis said, calmly, still walking.  
  
“Oh, I beg to differ!” Harry said, jumping out of his parked car. The man reached behind himself, into his belt clip and pulled out his gun, stood in front of Louis and pointed it into the air.  
  
“Oh, what, you're going to shoot me?” Louis said sarcastically at the empty threat, walking around his road block.  
  
“Nope.” Harry turned around to face the drivers, pointing his gun. “I'm gonna shoot a cab driver!” He announced.  
  
The loud noise of car doors being locked was heard through the parking lot.  
  
“No, no!” Louis ran to one of the cab's doors. “He's kidding! He doesn't mean it!” Louis tried, frantically pulling the handle of the door.  
  
“No, I mean it.” Harry said, strolling a little closer.  
  
“Ugh!” Louis huffed, angrily, backing away from the one taxi and running to the other, only to find it locked, too.“Chickenshits!” He shouted at the drivers and turned around to face the threatening man. “Alright. Can we just talk about this?” Louis said, a little out of breath from his small meltdown.  
  
“Fine,” Harry said, walking up to Louis, almost chest to chest, and craning a bit to look him in the eye. “What do you want to say?”  
  
“Um,” Louis stuttered, a little flustered from the sudden closeness. He took a minute to gather his thoughts before concluding, “I'm not letting you take me to jail.”  
  
Harry nodded seriously, “Duly noted.” He said.  
  
He then bent over, picking the small man up and throwing him over his shoulder within a blink of an eye.  
  
Louis squeaked, obviously shocked from the sudden movement. “Harry! Oh my...you've got to be kidding me!” He screamed. “You've got to be kidding me.” He repeated, hitting Harry's back as the strong man walked over towards his car. “Harry, stop it! Seriously, put me down!”  
  
There was a small crowd gathering around the two at this point. Harry opened his empty trunk of the convertible.  
  
“Harry, goddamn it!” Harry flipped the screaming man over, holding him bridal style before gently placing him into the trunk. “You cannot be putting me into a trunk. Harry, you cannot be seri-” The rest of Louis's sentence was cut off by the slam of the trunk door.  
  
“I'm dead _seri--_!” Harry joked. He laughed, stepping into the driver’s seat and taking off.  
  
  
  
“Oh my God, I'm gonna have a panic attack.” Louis's palms were pushed against his closed eyes, his words echoing through the small space. “Harry!” He yelled, hitting the roof of the area. “You fucking open this trunk right now, goddamn it!”  
  
The vehicle just drove onwards.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“I've got a couple of small tats myself.” The man said, picking up the ink gun. “But, I'm still amazed at the level of pain people will go through to make an impression. Do you know what I mean?” He turned, facing Greg who was stuck in a reclined chair, head duct-taped still. The tattoo gun rang, dangerously close to his face.  
  
“I was just asking around.” Greg whimpered. He eyed the gun. “Okay? I swear to God, I don't know anything.”  
  
The man just hummed. “What if I tattooed the word 'snitch' on your eyelids? Or, better yet, ‘dead snitch’.”  
  
Greg was freaking out by this point. “Look, okay, look, look.” He rambled. “All I know is that there's this reporter, okay? And he said something about a car with stolen plates at a suicide.”  
  
“What's his name?”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“ _Higgins' Bail Bonds._ ”  
  
“Guess what I've got in my trunk?” Harry hollered  
  
“ _Is that some sort of perverted innuendo? Who is this?_ ”  
  
“Oh, come on, Teresa. It's me! You know it's me.” Harry said, obviously. He continued anyway. “Hey, I need to talk to Paul.”  
  
“ _Yeah, well Paul's not available right now._ ” Her bubble gum snapped. “ _Last I heard, he was trying to start a fire with two sticks and pure rage._ ”  
  
“Alright, well just tell Paul that I got him, and I'm bringing him in, okay?” Harry sighed. “I'll be back in two hours, and I want a bonus for bringing him in so quick!”  
  
“ _Yeah?_ ” She said, sarcastically. “ _Well, I want a bonus for getting through the week without stabbing somebody with a fork._ ”  
  
“Week's not over yet!” He said, conversationally. His phone then beeped. He pulled the phone from his ear, checking the screen to see that he has someone else calling him. He put the device back to his ear. “I got another call.” He said.  
  
“ _Well, I gotta go too. Very busy. Bye-bye._ ” Teresa said, hanging up.  
  
Harry switched to the other caller. “This is Harry. I'm sorry but I'm not in at the moment to take your call.”  
  
“ _Harry, get me out of the trunk._ ” Louis's voice crackled, calm and politely, adding on a “ _please_.”  
  
Harry hummed, liked he was actually considering it. “Nope! Oh, by the way, your boyfriend Nick has been following me.”  
  
“ _He is not my boyfriend!_ ” Louis whined.  
  
“Well, he seems to think he is.”  
  
Louis laughed, his tone of voice completely changing. “ _Well, I seem to remember a time when I thought you were quite the catch, and that didn't pan out either._ ”  
  
“He doesn't really seem like your type.” Harry said, yawning as if he were bored.  
  
“ _Listen. Okay, Harry, please. Please._ ” Louis pleaded. “ _I shouldn't have run, that was--look, you caught me off guard, alright? And, to tell you the truth, I think I really need your advice about something._ ”  
  
“Well, that's a real shame,” Harry said, coldly. He continued, his tone as dramatic as possible. “Because I wouldn't help you if you were the last baby sea turtle dragging your tiny, little body across the burning sand whilst hungry seagulls circled overhead. Nope! I'd just pull up a chair, sip a piña colada and watch nature take its course.” Harry smirked, actually really proud of himself until he didn't hear an answer. “Hello?”  
  
Sobs racked through the phone. “ _You, just stop!_ ” Louis cried.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
Louis whined, high pitched again.  
  
“Lou? Louis?” Harry said.  
  
“ _What?_ ” Louis asked, voice raspy.  
  
“Hey, remember how we used to be in love?”  
  
“ _Yeah._ ” Louis said, dreamily, sighing.  
  
“Well, that means I know when you're crying for real.” Harry said, almost tenderly until he followed up his claim with “and when you're faking it.” The man laughed, did Louis honestly think that would work? “Buh-bye!”  
  
Harry hung up. He soon after that heard fists banging against his car and a muffled voice shouting at him. “Harry! God, Harry, do you hear the tone of my voice? Harry! You're going to get it when I get out of here, so help me.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis' phone rang again, he reached over, calming himself quickly with a deep breath before answering it. “Hello, this is Louis Tomlinson.”  
  
“ _Hey, uh, this is Greg._ ”  
  
Louis immediately sprung up. “Greg! Oh my God. Oh my God, Greg, I thought you were dead!” He breathed, hand on his chest, obviously relieved. “Where are you? I left you like forty messages!” He frantically searched for answers.  
  
“ _Yeah, sorry, my phone ran out._ ” Greg said, hurriedly. “ _Listen, about this story_.”  
  
“Greg, what happened to you at Dunkin Doughnuts?”  
  
“ _Oh, nothing. My friend showed up, he needed my help with something._ ”  
  
“Was that before or after he busted your window?” Louis deadpanned.  
  
“ _I locked my keys in the c-_ ” Greg cut himself off. “ _Whatever, it's a piece of shit. Anyway, listen, um, where are you? It sounds like you're in a closet._ ”  
  
“Oh,” Louis turned around, getting more comfortable but hitting his elbow on the top of the trunk. He mentally cursed. “I’m in Atlantic City. Listen, Greg, I went to your apartment and I found the coaster. Has there been evidence stolen from the depository?”  
  
“ _Well, that's kinda why I'm calling, actually!_ ” Greg said, loudly in Louis's ear, alerting him. “ _The whole thing turned out to be nothing but a waste of time for everybody involved._ ”  
  
“Who else is involved, Greg?” Louis hesitantly questioned, only to be met with the dial tone. Greg hung up on him.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
The criminal praised Greg on his acting skills, dealt with him, before going outside and making a call.  
  
“Listen,” He said. “I need a favor. Louis Tomlinson, 134 Perry Street. Credit check and recent activity, okay? Thanks.”  
He snapped the disposable phone shut and hopped into his black truck.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Harry cruised down the highway and began to smell smoke. And, well, you've already seen this part.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Niall, sporting his two black eyes and a busted lip, strolled down the streets and entered a department store, only stopping to open a door in the back, revealing many people in a small room, on computers and doing work.  
  
He stopped in front of the main desk, the woman in the main chair turning slowly like villains on a cartoon. She took one look at him before asking, exasperatingly. “What the hell happened to you?”  
  
Niall put on a smile and said proudly, “Harry Styles. The asshole head-butted me.”  
  
“If only I gave a shit.” Niall continued to smile. The two might have to be work enemies, but Niall and Harry were actual best friends. They maintained a complicated relationship. “Did you get my money?” His boss asked. The grin dropped.  
  
His boss sighed and yelled to the other room, “Zayn!”  
  
  
  
“Harry Styles. Ex-cop.” Zayn read off his computer screen, details that Niall already knew but couldn't actually say. Zayn was Niall's partner. Although they were both idiots, Zayn was the smarter of the two. “Fired last year for neglect of duty. His current gambling debt is just over eleven grand. We haven't seen a penny in two months.” Zayn recited.  
  
“This is not good. This is not good!” Irene paced. “If we let this bum slide, people are gonna start thinking that Irene has gone soft and they don't have to pay up.” Her voice stern, “Get him in here. Niall, break some part of his person, I'll get my money back, and we'll all have a nice holiday weekend.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis tapped his handcuffed wrist against the car door. After the whole flare-incident, Harry snapped the cuffs on Louis, attaching the other side to the handle in the passenger's seat.  
  
“Swear to God.” Louis said, bored. It was now dark outside and it felt like they'd been driving for hours. “Unbelievable.” Louis shook his head. “How did you find me?” He accused Harry, who was outside filling the gas tank up and cleaning his windshield on the beloved car.  
  
Harry laughed. “Well, I knew you called your mother. So I went to go see her.”  
  
“You went to see my mother? She didn't know where I was either!”  
  
“Yeah, she said you went to ‘suck up some luck’. And I remembered your stepdad had some crazy theory about how all the losing at the track must leave some extra luck lying around.” _He remembered that?_ Louis was shocked and flattered at the same time. “I knew you would be in section D because D is your lucky letter. I mean, who has a lucky letter?” Harry walked back around the car, putting away the window cleaner.  
  
“I had no idea you knew all that stuff about me.” Louis said.  
  
“Well of course, we were married.” Harry said, sadly. Louis shrugged as he continued, leaning into the open window of the driver's seat. “But, honestly? I love being single. I love everything about my life.” He bragged, ticking the rest off his fingers. “Good job, great friends, hot girlfriend!” Okay, so he lied a little on that last one.  
  
“Girlfriend?” Louis gasped.  
  
“Oh, you didn't know?” Harry said, bluffing. “Yeah, I've had a number of casual, crazy, sex-filled relationships since you and I crapped out, but I think this lady might be the one!”  
  
“Hm,” Louis hummed. “What's her name?”  
  
The smirk immediately dropped from Harry's face, then a nice exotic name popped into his head, but the face that matched it was not. “Teresa.” He said, thinking of the forty-year-old, married, bottled redhead with a mouth that constantly chewed, blew, and snapped gum. “Smoking hot body, great cook.” He lied even more. “Smart, very, very smart.”  
  
“Oh, smart for a stripper?” Louis grinned from ear to ear, catching Harry in his lie.  
  
“She's not a stripper!” He exclaimed.  
  
“Well, then, what does Teresa do?” Louis questioned.  
  
Harry thought for a bit. Why not make it worse? “Judge.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Circuit court of appeals judge.” He said, dislodging himself from the window and checking the gas.  
  
“Oh, bullshit.” Louis called after him. “Bullshit!”  
  
“No, I'm not bullshitting! She really is a judge!” Harry insisted, then took the gas nozzle out of the tank and shut the lid. “Actually, just like the one you skipped out on!” He began to lecture. Louis rolled his eyes as Harry came back to the window before going up to pay for the fuel and finished, “Funny, the little coincidences in life.”  
  
  
  
Harry drove through the city, with his ex-husband by his side and the signs from the skyscrapers casting down onto their faces, lighting the streets with neon colored lights.  
  
“Alright, that's it.” Louis suddenly announced, throwing his free arm into the air before reaching down into his bag. “I'm done. I give up, I give up. I don't want to play anymore.” He pulled out five hundred dollars, the money we was originally going to pay Greg with. “Here, take it.” He held it out in front of Harry.  
  
Harry quickly glanced at the wad of cash before focusing his eyes back onto the road. “What's that?”  
  
“Five hundred dollars. Just take it and dump me somewhere on the side of the road. Somewhere, anywhere, here. I don't care. Just take it.”  
  
Harry laughed. “Honey, I'm getting five grand just to bring your ass to justice. Do the math.” He said, clearly amused.  
  
Louis turned to the man. “No.” He said sternly, poking his shoulder. “You do it.”  
  
“No!”  
  
“The Harry Styles that I knew?” Louis said, his eyes challenging Harry. “He could take five hundred dollars, walk into any casino, and turn it into five thousand like that.” Louis snapped his fingers. “He could turn it into ten thousand dollars!”  
  
“Yeah?” Harry took it personally. “Try fifty.”  
  
Louis considered it for a moment. “I don't know.” He settled, “I wouldn't go that far.”  
  
Harry blinked. “Why not?”  
  
“Well, I don't know! You think you still got it?”  
  
“Hell, yeah! I still got it.” Louis hummed at that, unimpressed. “You know,” Harry continued, waving his finger to make a point. “This isn't about the money.”  
  
“ _Ah._ ”  
  
“No, this is about me doing my job!”  
  
“Mhmm.” Louis waved the cash around, fanning his face before putting it under his nose, sniffing the potent scent, just flaunting the five hundred in front of Harry's face.  
  
Harry looked back and forth, road Louis road Louis road Louis.  
  
  
  
He parked, got out and rushed to Louis's side, un-handcuffing the man from the door handle.  
  
“Alright, now listen.” Louis stated. “Remember: you win, you let me go. That's our deal, right?” He grabbed his bag and got out of the convertible. “You get what you want and I get to go.”  
  
“Don't tell me your story.” Harry sighed, he was going to be in so much trouble. “How could I forget? Come on.”  
  
And with that, Harry took Louis's bag from his hands, like a gentleman mind you, and they made their way into the Taj Mahal casino.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Zayn sighed into his cellphone, sitting at some bench. “Niall, be honest, apart from chasing some guy down, breaking his legs, beating his face to a bloody pulp, you don't get a lot of aerobic exercise.”  
  
“ _Why are we even talking about this?_ ” Niall said, from the other line, his mouth full of the hotdog he just ate.  
  
“You're going to get me killed someday when you're too slow to react in a life-or-death situation!” Zayn reasoned.  
  
“ _I'm not too slow._ ” Niall whined.  
  
Zayn's phone beeped then, so he pulled it away from his face before telling Niall “It's Irene.” And hanging up, answering his boss's call. “Yeah?” He answered.  
  
“ _They spotted Styles at the Taj_.” She said. “ _He's driving a blue Delta 88_.”  
  
“I'm on it.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Okay, listen.” Louis started a conversation on their way down the long escalators. “There's this kid. He works at O’Doul’s. He gives me information sometimes.”  
  
“You mean he's a snitch.” Harry stated.  
  
“…Yes.” Louis answered, reluctantly. Harry smirked. “But I think he's in a lot of trouble. I had him ask around about this suicide, this guy dove off of a roof.”  
  
“Shows me what you know.” Harry said, cutting Louis off.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Suicides don't dive, they go feet-first.”  
  
“See, now, is that true? How do you know that?” Louis questioned.  
  
“Every cop knows that!”  
  
Louis scoffs, stepping off of the stairs with Harry by his side. “Well, if every cop knows that a suicide goes feet-first, and this guy went head first, then why would a cop rule it as a suicide?” His reporter skills were showing.  
  
“How the hell should I know?” Harry said. “Why don't you ask the cop that filled out the report?”  
  
Louis was speechless.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Back at Harry's car in the Taj Mahal parking garage, Nick swerved his red mini-cooper into the spot next to it. He then got out of his car and tip toed over towards the convertible's trunk, cautious as if Harry were still around. It wasn't like Harry knew that Nick followed them, though, because Nick thought himself a stud. A fly on the wall.  
  
He sneakily stuck his back to the trunk, knocked and whispered, “Louis?”  
  
 _No answer._  
  
“Louis, it's Nick, I'm here to save you.”  
  
 _No answer._  
  
“Oh my God,” He said to himself, “He's passed out.”  
  
“Alright, hero time. Let's go, buddy.” Nick said, crawling up to the driver's door, unlocking and opening it through the open window and popping the trunk. “Yes, yes, yes, yes.” He chanted.  
  
“Okay, here you go, I got you!” Nick opened the trunk, only to find it completely empty. “Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit!” He stage whispered.  
  
He closed the trunk, then was taken aback by the face he found hiding behind it.  
  
“Hey,” Zayn said. “It's a Delta 88?” He gestured to the car.  
  
“Yeah!” Nick breathed.  
  
“It's a nice car.”  
  
“Oh, thank you!” Nick said, patting the hood of the closed trunk. “Yeah, this is my car, in case you were wondering.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Yeah. It was once used in an Ice Cube video.” Nick bragged about the car that wasn't his.  
  
“Yeah.” Zayn just repeated, moving to stand next to Nick.  
  
“Yeah. You a big fan of cars?” He turned towards the raven haired man, before looking back at the baby blue. “You know what I like about it? The steering wheel--”  
  
Zayn just quickly slammed Nick's head into the metal of the trunk, knocking him out with a thud.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Five hundred on the pass line.” Harry said, handing the bills over to the dealer.  
  
“New shooter, coming out. Five hundred on the line.” The dealer said.  
  
“Whoa, wait!” Louis interrupted, turning towards Harry. “Wait a minute. You're betting all of it? What if you lose?”  
  
“Then, we're back in the car.” Harry stated, simply, shuffling the dice in his big hands. “So, if I lose, I still win!”  
  
Louis looked at the man. Harry just held the dice in the shorter man's face and said, “Here, blow on them.”  
  
Louis scoffed. “No!”  
  
Harry's head whipped around to face him. “You always did before!”  
  
“Oh, come on.” Louis rolled his eyes.  
  
“You want me to win, don't you? If I win, you go free, remember?”  
  
The people around the table got impatient and even the dealer said, “Let's go, shooter. Coming out.” Harry grinned sheepishly.  
  
Harry held the dice in his hands closer to Louis's lips, where he blew, feeling odd about the whole situation.  
  
“Here we go!” Harry said, excitedly, throwing the dice onto the table. He and the people around it cheered as the dealer announced, “ _Winner. Seven!_ ”  
  
“Seven! Big winner!” Harry whooped, even Louis raised his eyebrows a bit at that.  
  
  
  
The next time Harry asked Louis to blow on the dice, he grabbed Harry's wrist and did it a little more enthusiastically. Harry launched them. “ _Winner, eleven! Front line winner._ ”  
  
Louis's mouth fell open, shocked as the whole table celebrated.  
  
The dealer pushed the numbered cubes back towards Harry, adding more stacks of chips to his possession.  
  
Louis was in it as excited as Harry was, contributing with all his might.  
  
“ _Winner, seven!_ ”  
  
“ _Winner, seven!”_  
  
“ _Winner, eleven!_ ”  
  
Louis and Harry were celebrating together at this point. Harry because he was winning a lot of cash, and Louis, well, he would be able to go free.  
  
“Count it out, nice and slow.” Harry said to the dealer. “Eight grand, it's so beautiful!” Harry exclaimed, practically kissing the poker chips.  
  
“You did it! I said you could, and you did!” Louis congratulated. “I'm out of here. You win, I walk!” He turned, walking away.  
  
“What? Wait.” Harry grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his side, “What are you talking about, where are you going?” Harry was so caught up in having fun and cheering with Louis like old times that he forgot about the deal, so he extended it. Kind of.  
  
“Are you kidding? We had a deal.” Louis said with a look of disbelief. “You win five, and I get to walk.”  
  
“No, you said ten.” Harry said.  
  
“I said five, Harry.”  
  
“In the car, you said I could turn five hundred into ten thousand.” Harry insisted.  
  
“Yes, but first I said-”  
  
“No ‘buts’.” Harry cut him off. “I mean, come on! Why would I try and win five thousand when I'm gonna get five thousand for turning you in? That doesn't even make sense!”  
  
“You know what does make sense?” Louis fought back. “I'm walking. I'm leaving! That's it, I'm out of here.” He said, turning around once again to make his way out the door.  
  
“Hey, no!” Harry gripped his arm, pulling him back over yet again, slinging an arm around his shoulders, anchoring Louis to that spot. “You will stay here until I win ten grand and then you walk. Okay?” Harry juggled the dice in his hands, once more bringing them to Louis's lips. “You have my word, now blow.”  
  
“Your word is worth shit.” Louis said, gritting his teeth.  
  
“Let's go, shooter.” said the dealer.  
  
Harry nodded in his direction, looking to Louis again who shook his head and closed his lips.  
  
“You know what? Fine. I can do this myself. It's all me anyway!” Harry pulled away from Louis' shoulders. “Watch, Harry Styles makes his own luck!” He announced to his crowd, they cheered. He shot.  
  
“ _Four, easy, the point is four!_ ”  
  
“Okay, four.” Harry scratched his head. “No big deal, no worries. I can do four. That's two twos.” He continued rambling to himself. “Three and a one!”  
  
“Yeah.” Louis snorted, amused as Harry's obvious frustration. “Or a four and a zero.”  
  
“Shut up.” Harry launched again.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Of course you're to blame! A four and a zero?”  
  
“Oh, God.” Louis groaned, trailing behind Harry as they walked to their hotel room for the night.  
  
“You mocked the gods of craps!”  
  
“The ‘gods of craps’? Do you hear yourself right now?”  
  
“No, all I hear is the sound of eight thousand dollars in chips being swept away from me.” Harry said, putting his hand on the small of Louis's back, guiding his to their room at the end of the hallway.  
  
“Harry.” Louis sighed, before taking in a stern tone. “Harry. You have got to let me go!”  
  
“No, I don't have to do anything except win my money back!” Harry said, defending himself. “Which, I will do, once I find the damn room.”  
  
They turned another corner to find the number 2102 engraved into the door. Harry opened it, gestured Louis inside and slammed it shut, following behind the reporter.  
  
Louis stepped inside, taking in the large sitting room. “Wow.” He said, looking around at the hotel suite. “Wow.” He said again. “This place is nice.”  
  
“Yeah, glad you like it.” Harry said, looking at Louis almost fondly. “Because you paid for it.”  
  
“I--me?” Louis stuttered.  
  
“Yeah, I lifted your credit card.” Harry proudly stated. “I mean it was a pretty shitty thing to do, but I feel better now that you know.” He pursed his lips and nodded sympathetically, walking around Louis to a love seat and throwing his bag down.  
  
“You stole my credit card?” Louis was gritting his teeth.  
  
“See, this is what you always do!” Harry exclaimed. “I borrow your credit card, and it turns into stealing. You always blow things out of proportion!”  
  
“You know what, would you stop it with this ‘always’ shit?” Louis said, walking away from Harry and storming down the small hallways into the bedroom. “We dated for _six_ months. We were married for _nine_ months.” He sat down on the soft, king bed, continuing to rant. “That's _fifteen_ months. That's not ‘always’, champ.” He didn't even notice Harry taking his wrist and cuffing it once again. “You don't even know ‘always’.”  
  
Harry attached the other end to the top bar of the elaborate metal headboard, dropping it and walking away as it made a soft clink. “Hey, what are you doing? What? Where are you going? Hey, hey, hey, Harry, don't you dare leave me like this!”  
  
Harry walked out of the room. Louis let out a frustrated huff and picked up a ceramic vase from the night table, throwing it in the direction that Harry left and shattering it against the door.  
  
Harry poked his head back in. “You probably have to pay for that.”  
  
“You know what--!”  
  
  
  
Harry left the suite and made his way down the long hallways, stopping at the elevator and pushing the down button, taking him back to the casino. The doors opened and he got in, whispering, “Don't let me down.” To the paycheck in his hand and kissing it.  
  
  
  
Four hours later and the clock quickly approached two am. Harry drunkenly walked back to his room, stumbling as he tried not to spill the drink in his hand.  
  
He took his key card out of the pocket in his rucked up shirt and unlocked the door, went into the bedroom and found Louis awkwardly sleeping in the bed, on top of the covers and still fully clothed. His arm was stretched to reach the top of the headboard, difficult because of his small stature and his back was to Harry.  
  
Harry walked to his side of the bed, taking gun out of his pocket and placing it on night table next to him, along with the handcuff keys. He laid on the bed next to Louis and turned off the lamp. He made himself comfortable and began to snore right away.  
  
Louis opened his eyes. He waited a couple more snores and slowly turned around, making sure the drunk was actually asleep. Then, he eyed the gun on the table.  
  
Louis settled back in his pillow and thought a moment. He remembered how Harry was a very light sleeper, but not when drunk. He decided to go for it.  
  
All of the man's movements were slow as he turned onto his knees, trying not to creak the bed. He looked at the headboard.  
  
The headboard was simple, black and metal. There was one, slightly thicker-than-the-rest bar that expanded the entire width of the bed, which Louis was attached to. There was another, thinner bar a few inches down from the top, and from there on the bars were vertical. Louis's problem, however, was the top bar was about three feet taller than the bed. And since that was so tall and Louis's arms were so not-long, it would be a difficult reach to the weapon on the table.  
  
Louis moved his right arm as far as he could to the edge of the headboard, the awful sound of metal on metal echoing through the room. He got as close as he dared to his sleeping ex, afraid of waking him up and finding himself in an extremely awkward situation. All he had to do was reach over Harry and grab the weapon.  
  
He crossed his right arm under the one that was handcuffed, the restraints making his reach difficult. He stretched and swore that he could feel the weight of the gun on his fingertips, but his cuffs slipped and he then fell on the snoring man beneath him, who didn't wake up to the sudden weight. He quickly straddled Harry's legs, getting even closer to the gun but still not quite able to pick it up.  
  
“What are you doing?” A sleepy voice rumbled out from under him.  
  
Louis gasped and looked down, now gripping the headboard with both of his hands. “What?”  
  
Harry blinked his heavy lids open and found Louis practically on his lap. “Are you trying to seduce me?” He questioned, deep and scratchy.  
  
Louis looked around for a moment, thinking of what he should do before deciding to play along to cover his tracks. He made a few slightly-sexual breathy sounds, having not actually had sex in a while, and said, “Yes. I am.”  
  
Harry chuckled and played along, still a bit drunk, placing his hands on Louis's hips and grinding up slightly. It wasn't long before Louis played it up, giggling with him and moving his hips a little. “What would you like to touch first?” Harry hummed, smirking. “You always loved my shoulders.”  
  
“Oh, yes, your shoulders.” Louis said, breathy and high pitched. “And especially in the right jacket? So impressive.” He said, giving fashion tips during the foreplay. He really needed to get laid.  
  
“My chest.” Harry supplied.  
  
“So strong, so solid.” Louis voiced, now starting to get lost in all of the things he used to love about Harry's body.  
  
“My lips.”  
  
“Your lips,” Louis stared, his mind in a different place, leaning down and whispering, “are a perfect match for mine.”  
  
Louis almost connected themselves into what was going to be a passionate kiss before Harry interrupted with, “But, what you would really like to touch is powerful.”  
  
Louis was a bit confused, so he just hummed, remaining close to Harry’s lips.  
  
“Sometimes dangerous.”  
  
Louis cocked his head.  
  
“It's hard.”  
  
He finally got it after that comment, breathing a “yes”. He trailed his dull fingernails from his free hand down Harry's clothed torso.  
  
“And that would be my gun.” And then Louis found himself with a gun in his face.  
  
Louis let out a small shriek as Harry laughed. “You are such a dick.” Louis said, flopping back over to his side of the bed. “You are such a dick!” He repeated.  
  
“Yeah,” Harry said, the smile cutting clear through his voice. “But in the right jacket...” He trailed off.  
  
Louis huffed and turned his back.  
  
Harry faked snored a little more and Louis punched his pillow.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
The next morning, Niall walked through the door of his workplace with a box of Dunkin Doughnuts in his hand. He turned the corner into the room and found Irene and Zayn sitting there, as if they was waiting for him to walk in, and he stopped.  
  
“Zayn wants to show you something.” She said. Zayn walked out from his position behind the woman and smiled at Niall, telling him to follow. Zayn opened the door to his left, walking into the separate room.  
  
Immediately, they were attacked by a voice from a man who was handcuffed to a visible pipe in the wall. His clothes were crumpled and his hair was a mess, and his head had a huge egg on it that was an odd shade of purple.  
  
“Okay, alright. Bring your buddies in. Yeah! Okay, now that I have your attention, I will have you people know that my college roommate is a partner at the biggest law firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan.” Niall flinched at his loud voice, so early in the morning. “Alright? And while they specialize primarily in real estate law, I am calling him my mañana! And he will be on your asses like white on rice.” He yelled, his free hand gesturing all over the place in an obnoxious manner.  
  
Irene turned to Niall, handed him a golf club he just now realized she was holding and said, “Pick something, and break it.”  
  
Niall handed over his goodie-filled box, determined.  
  
“Now, hold on one second.” Nick said, hesitantly, as he realized what they were planning to do to him. “I didn't actually know him all that well. We're not that good of friends...” He trailed off as Niall took his position, ready to swing. “We just dated some of the same people back in college, that's all!” Nick nervously chuckled, trying to distract them in hopes of forgiveness for whatever he did. “Hey, is that a Ping? A Rapture? I had one of those back in--”  
  
Niall aimed for his leg and hit as hard as he could. If he were actually playing golf, it would have been a hole in one. The contact made a large _crack_ echo through the room. “Oh, shit! God, shit!” Nick screeched, trying to curl in on his now broken leg as the others in the room laughed.  
  
“Feel better?” Irene asked Niall, through their giggles at the man in pain.  
  
“Yeah, I do, actually.” Niall sighed, happily. He looked back at Nick. “Who is this guy, anyway? Where's Styles?”  
  
“That's Styles.” Irene and Zayn both stopped laughing, looking at the blonde.  
  
“Well, that's not Harry Styles, then.” Niall said.  
  
“I'm not Styles!” Nick cried.  
  
“He was in Styles' Oldsmobile!” Zayn emphasized.  
  
“I'm not Styles!” Nick repeated.  
  
Irene rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth. “The two of you go together this time.” She said, walking out of the room, frustrated. “Morons!”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
A knock on the door woke Louis up from an uncomfortable slumber. He sleepily blinked opened his eyes and sat. The sheets next to him was cold and empty, Louis heard the shower running in the master bathroom. Knocks sounded again before the door opened.  
  
“Housekeeping!” A lady's voice shouted.  
  
“Oh, yes, good. Come in!” Louis said in return, hoping she could help him out of the situation he was forced into. A plump little, old woman walked through the door of the room, finding Louis handcuffed to the bars of the headboard.  
  
“Good morning!” He said, cheerfully. He looked back at the cuffs. “You're probably wondering why I'm handcuffed to the bed.”  
  
“I just came from a room where a man was lying in a bathtub of mayonnaise wearing dog collar.” The woman, who was no less than seventy years old, said.  
  
Louis' eyes widened in shock at the bluntness of the lady, and stuttered a bit over his words. “Well, uh, to each his own, I guess!” He tried, attempting to keep the conversation as light as possible for the time.  
  
“You're not the one who has to clean the tub.” She said.  
  
“That's a very good point.” Louis said, nodding his head seriously.  
  
“I'll come back!” She said, turning to leave the room.  
  
“No, no, no please!” He called after her, she looked at him. “Would you mind grabbing my bag, from over there, please?” He said, smiling sweetly and pointing to the dresser across the room.  
  
  
  
The water in the shower turned off as the housekeeping lady left. Louis got what he needed, zipped his black bag shut, stood from up from the bed and stretched as far as he could. He swung his bag a couple of times before launching it in the direction of a chair, missing and groaning at the loss.  
  
The thump as it hit the floor, however, must have alerted Harry, who just came out of the shower.  
  
The double doors to the bathroom opened as Louis assumed what he had hoped was a casual position on the bed. Harry walked out of the steam in only a pure white towel wrapped around his waist.  
  
“What was that?” He questioned.  
  
“What? Sorry, what? What was what?”  
  
Harry ran his tongue over his perfectly straight teeth, annoyed. “That.”  
  
“Um, listen.” Louis sat up. “I have to go to the bathroom, so.” He looked at the handcuffs and then at Harry, looking up at him in also what he hoped looked innocent. Harry rolled his eyes and found the handcuff keys on the dresser, walking over to Louis's side of the bed. “How did you sleep?” Louis asked, conversationally.  
  
Harry leaned down and looked Louis in the eye. “Better than you.” He smirked.  
  
“Jerk.” Louis insulted. Harry roughly pulled at the cuffs, unlocking them. “ _Ow!_ ” Louis cried. “Could you be a little gentler?”  
  
“Sorry.” Harry said, shrugging unapologetically.  
  
Louis walked to the doors to the bathroom, with Harry hot on his tail. He reached the door frame before turning around. “What are you doing? Can I have a little privacy?” He crossed his arms and cocked his hip.  
  
“Something tells me I should frisk you.” Harry said, looking Louis up and down.  
  
“Oh, pfft.” Louis scoffed. “Right. Do I look like I'm hiding a weapon between my _breasts_?” He said sarcastically.  
  
Harry glanced at Louis' chest and up again a couple of times. Louis threw his hands up and walked into the large bathroom.  
  
“Oh my God.” He murmured, shutting the doors.  
  
Once he had the privacy, Louis reached to his side and into the waistband of his black jeans, pulling out a Taser he had took out of his bag and reading the directions written on the front. “‘Max power button.’” He whispered to himself, powering the weapon. “’Put open end into direct contact with the skin. Press button.’” It said. Louis practiced a couple times, throwing the Taser into his imaginary enemy's body.  
  
“Hey, who are you talking to?” Harry called from the other side of the doors, startling Louis.  
  
“Nobody!” He replied. “Who would I be talking to in a bathroom anyway? God!” He rambling, opening and closing a couple of cabinets for noise.  
  
“Okay, you're up to something. I'm coming in!” Harry warned.  
  
“No, I'm not done, Harry!”  
  
“Yeah, you're done.” He said, opening the doors.  
  
“Fuck, Jesus.” Louis lunged at the man, pressing the open end of his Taser right into his neck and pressing the button.  
  
Harry grunted and shook, falling to the ground and flopping around a bit. Louis gave a shriek, left the bathroom, grabbing his bag and making a run for it.  
  
He made it out to the elevators and pressed the button, the one behind him opening for the lobby. Louis hopped in, and just as the doors started the close, the elevator in front of him opened, revealing a man who looking at Louis like he was familiar.  
  
“Son of a--” The man mumbled, trying to cross the hallway before the elevator doors close and failed to do so.  
  
Louis just wrote it off as some sort of a coincidence and dashed out the small space as soon as the doors opened to the ground floor, running through the lobby and out the entrance and down the stairs of the front of the building. He called a number he remembers clearly.  
  
“ _Did you really skip bail?_ ” He got on the fifth ring. Louis ignored that.  
  
“Aiden, I need the name of the cop who signed off on the suicide.”  
  
“ _Okay, okay_.” His boss sighed. “ _Looking like...Liam Payne_.” He read off the signed document.  
  
“Liam?” Louis momentarily stopped in his tracks before continuing down the stairs. “Are you sure?”  
  
“ _I'm reading it right here. Anyway, do you know where Nick is?_ ”  
  
“Why? Why would I know that?”  
  
“ _Oh, I thought you two were together._ ”  
  
“We are not together!” Louis huffed, turning off the stairs and walking down the street. “We made out once. One time!” He recounted, again.  
  
“ _Oh. I meant together on the story_.” Aiden trailed off, before laughing. “ _You made out with Nick?”_  
  
Louis hung up, mumbling to himself. “Okay, Aiden, that's all I needed.”  
  
Louis looked around for a taxi before settling his eyes on the top of the hotel's steps. Once again, there was the man from the elevator.  
  
“Need a lift?” Someone asked from behind him.  
  
“What?” Louis spun around, finding a boy no older than eighteen on a bicycle rickshaw.  
  
“I said, need a lift?” He repeated, chuckling a little at the disoriented reporter.  
  
“Yes, yes! I do! Oh God, thanks!” Louis exclaimed, hopping into the back seat.  
  
Louis was happy to be sitting down. “What a nightmare!” He exclaimed again, wanting to prop his feet up and relax for once. “Don't get married.” He advised the kid.  
  
“Uh, I'm seventeen. I don't even have a girlfriend, I'm saving all my money for college.” He said.  
  
 _Money!_ Louis groaned, throwing his head back, realizing he gave all of his to Harry to blow on gambling.  
  
He leaned forward, telling the kid, “You know what? I just gave all of my money to my ex-husband. I don't know how I'm gonna pay you!”  
  
The kid looked Louis up and down. “You could show me your ass.”  
  
“Excuse me?” Louis scoffed, taken aback.  
  
“Come on! I told you I don't have a girlfriend, there might be a reason for that. Show me your ass!”  
  
Louis sighed, and really what other option does he have? “Alright, pull over.”  
  
“You serious?” The kid asked, surprised, but still pulled over.  
  
  
  
“Watch out, watch out, watch out!” Louis yelled to the pedestrians in his way, pedaling hard.  
  
“Come on, bring it back! My boss--she's gonna kill me!” The kid, who was pushed off the bike when they pulled over, ran after Louis, the one who pushed him.  
  
“Show her this!” Louis shouted back, flipping the kid off.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Harry groaned as he picked himself off the tile floor, every bone in his body hurting.  
  
He stood up and got dressed in last night’s clothes, albeit slowly, before going down to his car and driving on the highway. He honestly had no idea where to even start looking for Louis, so he was just going to drive for a while in the direction Harry guesses he took off.  
  
The center point of Harry's pain was his neck, and when he checked it out in the mirror, he found a large red mark in the spot where Louis used his Taser on him. Harry groaned and mumbled to himself a bit, shaking his head.  
  
Louis was going to pay for this.  
  
Up ahead, Harry spotted something small and a bright yellow color, decidedly not car-shaped, making its way down the highway. And Harry trusted his old cop skills.  
  
He sped up and honked.  
  
  
  
Louis turned around in his seat, finding Harry already on his tail. No matter how tired he started to think himself, Louis pushed all of those thoughts aside and pedaled harder than ever before.  
  
  
  
“Taser this, baby.” Harry mumbled to himself, skillfully speeding up a little more and front-ending the carriage in the back of the bike. Louis's mouth dropping, shocked at the sharp jolt of his transportation. He whipped his head around and saw Harry with that ever-smirk plastered on his face.  
  
Harry laughed at the look on Louis's face and did it again. He only had to wait a little while before Louis finally stopped the bike, which Harry followed, but not before nudging forward just a bit more and startling the carriage.  
  
Louis was panting hard, as he hasn't worked out in forever and was too out of shape to efficiently move any farther.  
  
Harry honked again, yelling, “Get in the car!” to Louis.  
  
Louis huffed, dislodging himself from the seat and taking his back bag from the carriage attached.  
  
“Come on, come on!” Harry said, gruffly and impatient.  
  
Louis walked calming to the door of the passenger’s seat, reaching for the handle.  
  
Harry then put the car in reverse, jerking out of Louis's reach.  
  
“Are you serious? Really?” Louis screeched and Harry laughed. “Right now, you're gonna do this?”  
  
“I promise, I promise I won't do it again!” Harry said through his laughs, throwing his hands up from the steering wheel. “Come in.” He chuckled.  
  
Louis rolled his eyes, looking around as Harry put the car back in park, removing his hands from the controls.  
  
Louis sighed, watching Harry closely as he slowly moved to the handle once again. Only this time, Harry moved forward.  
  
Louis let out a frustrated noise and said, “I can't believe I was ever married to you!”  
  
Harry started to crack up again, clapping his hands like the ridiculous seal he is. “I don't know why you keep falling for that old ‘get in the car’ trick!” He said, gasping for air.  
  
Harry finally settled his laughs as Louis rolled his eyes again, like, seriously he was going to break an eye ligament or something.  
  
He looked past Harry, quickly losing his train of thought.  
  
Harry noticed this, of course. “What?” He asked.  
  
Louis just shook his head, his eyes tearing up, blinking and trying to keep his tears to himself.  
  
“Oi, what are you doing?”  
  
He shook his head again, covering his mouth in the way that he does when he cries, and sniffs his nose.  
  
“No. No, no, no. No, I'm not buying it.” Harry refused. Louis then let out a couple little, quiet sobs, wiping at his tears with the palms of his hands.  
  
“Oh, shit. That's real.” Harry mumbled, turning the car off and stepping out, walking to the man. “Louis, come on, let's go.” He said, softly.  
  
Louis just stared at him.  
  
“Look, I was just fooling around...” He trailed off in his explanation before Louis cut him off with a sharp reply.  
  
“It's not because of you, you jerk!” He sniffed, opening the door to the car and hopping in, crossing his arms.  
  
Harry then turned around in the direction Louis was facing, his eye catching on the billboard across the street.  
  
“ **Cupid's Cabin** **  
Exit 22  
Right at light.  
Where true love goes to grow.** ” It said.  
  
Oh. That's why Louis was crying.  
  
Harry's face softened in understanding. “Fuck.” He whispered to himself, glancing at the Louis in his convertible, still crying and trying to conceal the salt water running down his cheeks.  
  
Harry got in the driver's seat of his car, starting the ignition and backing away from the bicycle. He turned back onto the highway.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Nick groaned at the door opened to the small room, four people making their way inside. Nick spotted a man with a briefcase.  
  
“Oh, thank God! A doctor!” He exclaimed, tiredly. “Sir, I think my leg is broken and all I've eaten today is a doughnut.”  
  
The doctor ignored Nick, sending nothing but a meaningless glance to him. He sat his briefcase down on a small table located in the room next to the man in handcuffs, opening it up and pulling out the biggest syringe Nick has ever seen in his life.  
  
“Oh, my. Oh my, that is--that is very large.” Nick said, stumbling through his words. “Wait a minute, wait. You are a doctor right?”  
  
“Of course!” The doctor spoke up. “I'm the track vet at the Atlantic City Race course.”  
  
“What!?” Nick exclaimed.  
  
“He's very good.” Irene offered, leaning against the doorway. “He just put down one of our horses last week, and I don't think it felt a thing.”  
  
“I'm not a horse.” Nick whimpered.  
  
“Well, actually, in that case, it did feel it. A lot. Well, those are the tough ones.” The doctor sighed, squirting some of the poison out of the syringe before explaining, “Okay. You are going to feel a massive pinch. But then your leg should feel just fine!”  
  
The doctor walked up to where Nick was sitting, holding the long needle to his neck.  
  
“Don't, don't!” Nick got out before groaning in pain as the needle broke the skin, pushing into his neck. The doctor released the toxic substance from its vile.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis placed his sunglasses on his face, propping them low on his nose. The open convertible cruised down the highway, whipping his ever-growing hair around. He sighed, jingling the chains on his cuffs that were once again attached to the door. “Come on, is this really necessary?”  
  
Harry looked over. “After 250 volts through my neck?” He snorted. “You're just lucky you're not in the trunk.” He quickly looked at himself in the rearview mirror before adjusting his eyes back on the road. “I feel like I got a hickey from jumper cables. You know I could arrest you for this?”  
  
“Great, do it. I dare you.” Louis said sarcastically, shrugging his shoulder and then smirking before he continued. “Oh, wait. You would have to be a real cop. Which, by the way, was the single most attractive thing about you.”  
  
“I could go back to being a cop any time I want!”  
  
“Yeah right.” Louis said, something in the rear view mirror catching his eye.  
  
“You know why?”  
  
“Why?” He replied, distracted by the somewhat familiar black SUV behind them.  
  
“Because I'm good at it, that's why.” Harry bragged, out to prove himself.  
  
Louis turned around, checking out the big truck. “I'm sorry, but I disagree with you.” He said, back on topic.  
  
“Oh, and you're basing that on...?” Harry questioned.  
  
“That's based on the fact that there is a black SUV following us and you haven't even noticed.” Louis said, facing Harry.  
  
Harry adjusted his mirrors, truck in sight. “Who says he's following us?”  
  
“Because it's the same one I saw at Dunkin Doughnuts when I went to meet Greg!”  
  
“There are a million black SUVs and there are twenty million Dunkin Doughnuts, and that's just in New Jersey.” Harry pointed out.  
  
“Listen.” Louis said, seriously. “There is a very good chance there are cops involved in the story that I am working on.”  
  
“Suicide?”  
  
“They may have grabbed Greg.” Louis said, gesturing to the black truck behind them, which was quickly approaching. “Greg may have given them my name. I don't know, they may wanna kill me!”  
  
”You think you're hot shit.” Harry rolled his eyes, turning towards Louis again, rambling and not even noticing the truck that pulled up side-by-side to the convertible. “But I'm pretty sure the only person that wants to kill you is me!”  
  
The man in the driver's seat of the black SUV pointed a gun.  
  
“Harry, God, watch out!” Louis screamed, his foot stomping down on Harry's, flooring the gas pedal. The car swerved as it sped up, hitting the truck beside them, as Harry tried to gain control again.  
  
“What the hell are you doing!?” Harry yelled, the car turning off onto a road under the bridge they were driving along. Shots were fired from the black SUV but none of them hit Harry or Louis.  
  
“God, shit!” Louis screamed, covering his head. “Why don't you ever listen to me!?” He shouted at Harry beside him.  
  
More shots were heard, hitting the car door.  
  
“I do listen!” Harry yelled back, fumbling for his gun in his pants as he tried to control the car.  
  
“No, you don't!” Louis replied loudly, covering his body the best he could with his bag that used to be down at his feet.  
  
Harry finally took out his gun, expertly turning the safety off and firing in the direction of the truck. He hit a mirror on the first try, the next blew a small bullet hole into the door.  
  
There wasn't much he could do while driving. He kept straight on the road, checking his door every so often and tried to keep good aim. The real problem was when the next turn off came up, the truck swerving into the land next to Harry, pushing the car in the process.  
  
“Look out!” Louis screamed again. The impact pushed the front left side of the car in, one of the headlights falling out onto the road that was slipping underneath them at dangerous speeds. _He's gonna die, he's gonna die, he's gonna die._ _  
_  
With this closer range, there was a bigger chance at a hit from either vehicle. The unknown man shot a couple more bullets, most of them still hitting the door but one made it to the side of Louis's seat, causing another shriek to rip out of the reporter.  
  
Harry aimed and shot again, this time the bullet nicking off of the roof of the truck, close to the driver's head. He then pushed his much smaller Delta 88 to the truck, making it swerve once again.  
  
“Harry!” Louis sounded, pointing at the minivan that was headed straight on in front of the black SUV, since it was in the wrong lane.  
  
The driver of the truck bolted his vehicle away, turning off of the road under the bridge above them. The speed took the truck flying in the air, until it hit a telephone pole and flipped over onto its side, where it rocked back and forth.  
  
All that could be heard was the smash of windows shattering as Harry and Louis drove farther and farther away, their car slowing down and pulling off onto the side of the road.  
  
The two sat in shock before an excited exclaim broke the silence.  
  
“Yes! I am _so_ onto something!” Louis said, making a move to jump out of the car before an uncomfortable tug on the handcuffs on his wrist made him sit back down, letting out a pained noise.  
  
“Only you could be happy right now!” Harry fumed, “Stay here.” He said, getting out of the mangled car.  
  
“Harry, no! Don't you leave me here! Get me out of here, Harry!” Louis whined, pulling at the cuffs.  
  
Harry slammed the door, glass falling out of the broken side mirror. He took one look at the bullet holes on the door. “Shit.” He mumbled, off to safely secure the wrecked SUV.  
  
Harry assumed position, getting closer and closer to the destroyed vehicle. He looked around, gun pointed out in front of him. He turned at the bed of the truck, pressing his back around the trunk door, gun pressed tightly to his chest before spinning the corner. He found nothing.  
  
A twig snapped from behind him, so Harry quickly poised to shoot the man before Louis let out a high-pitched screech at the weapon on his face.  
  
“Jesus!” He shouted, and attached to his wrists were the handcuffs, plus the interior of the car door.  
  
Harry groaned. “I told you to stay in the car!” He angrily whisper-shouted.  
  
“So what? You're not the boss of me!” Louis hissed back, pulling the childish excuse.  
  
“You're gonna pay for that!” Harry whispered, gesturing to the door.  
  
“Okay, great, so I owe you a nickel.” A car honk was heard from behind them.  
  
Harry turned around again, gun out and ready.  
  
“Stop the car!” They heard a man yell. “Get out!”  
  
The bloody man pulled a frantic woman out of a tan minivan, hopping in himself and pulling away.  
  
“Fuck.” Harry said as the tires whistled away. He accused Louis. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into!?”  
  
Louis scoffed, throwing his free hand in the air. “Really? Now you're interested?”  
  
“Yeah, hell yeah! He shot up my car!” Harry said, roaring.  
  
“I told you someone was following me!” Louis shouted, his voice cracking a little at his anger. “Did you listen to me? No! Do you ever listen to me?”  
  
“You told me somebody jumped off a roof!”  
  
“He worked for the N.Y.P.D., in the evidence depository. He was afraid of heights! And it's still ruled as a suicide? Come on!”  
  
“Okay, you know what? You can tell me all of this, on the way to jail.” Harry said, his hand taking Louis's bicep and leading them to the convertible.  
  
“You can't be serious!”  
  
“You wanna bet?”  
  
Louis spun around, freeing himself easily out of the grip. “Liam signed the report.” He confessed.  
  
“What?” Harry asked, shock evident in his face.  
  
“Liam was the cop who signed off on the suicide.” Louis said, brushing his sweaty fringe out of his face. “The same one that you said--”  
  
“Watch yourself.” Harry cut him off. “Very thin ice here.”  
  
“He's my friend too.” Louis gritted his teeth.  
  
“What is this? A friendly accusation?”  
  
“No! This is not an accusation!” Louis snapped. “This is simply connecting the dots.”  
  
“No.” Harry said, his tone dead. “This is about you caring about someone, then all of the sudden, no warning, you don't care about him and you're out the door.”  
  
“This is not us again, Harry.”  
  
“Liam. Liam walked you down the aisle!” Harry exclaimed.  
  
“I know that, and I will be heartbroken! But I'm not gonna stand around with my head in the sand!” Louis insisted.  
  
“I know exactly where your head is, sweetheart, and it ain't in the sand.” Harry said, walking to the window in the back of the destroyed black truck, opening it.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“I'm gonna find this prick. And when I do, I'm gonna prove Liam innocent and show you exactly what loyalty looks like.”  
  
  
  
“No VIN number. No registration.” Harry sighed, walking to the closed bed and pulled the trunk door open, it falling off. “Yeah, this guy was definitely a pro.”  
  
“Well, I got a Starbucks cup with the name Earl on it.” A muffled voice came from inside the overturned car.  
  
“Well, maybe it's not his cup.” Harry said, pulling out a bag of golf clubs. “Is that all you've got?”  
  
“Move than you've got, Kojak!” Louis sassed, throwing the empty cup at him.  
  
“Well, I've got these.” Harry said, patting the clubs.  
  
“What does it matter that he plays golf?” Louis asked, climbing his way out of the cab of the truck.  
  
“You see, I don't think he does.” Harry crouched down and rubbed his chin, eyebrows furrowed deep in thought. “These clubs have barely been used.” He explained. “Plus, they're lefties. The guy who shot at us was a righty. Not to mention the fact that all of the pockets are empty.”  
  
“So what?” Louis said, brushing himself off.  
  
“There is not a golfer in the world who doesn't have tees and pencils, balls and shoes, you name it.”  
  
Louis picked up the tag on the bag, reading it. “Then why is he a member at the Castle Hill Country Club?”  
  
“That is a good question.”  
  
Louis smirked. “That why I asked it.” He said.  
  
“Well, for once, it’s actually a good question.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Alright, here's the deal” Louis said, taking off his sunglasses and placing them in his bag as he got out of the car. A valet parker took it away. “We are interested in becoming members of the club, and we are friends with John.”  
  
“Okay, John who?” Harry asked.  
  
“Just, say John. They fill in the last name.”  
  
Harry pondered it a bit, before saying, “Clever.”  
  
“Thank you. Works every time.” Louis beamed, following Harry and walking up the stairs into a huge, fancy building. “Alright, now you have to come up with an occupation.”  
  
“Why can't I be who I am?”  
  
“A bounty hunter?” Louis snorted. “We're trying to get into a private club, not a tractor pull.”  
  
 _Low blow._  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry! The club is closed today for a private event for members.” The blond receptionist, who was wearing way too much red lipstick, said. “It's the Fourth of July!” She whispered the hint, walking around her desk. “Is it?” Louis took on a surprised tone, following the blonde. “It's already the Fourth, _honey!_ ”  
  
“I can't believe it, _honey_.” Harry said, dully.  
  
“Well, _honey_ , neither can I!” Louis directed his attention back to the receptionist. “See, the thing is, John actually said that it would be alright if we stopped by today.”  
  
The blond turned in her tracks, facing overly enthusiastic couple, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
“John...?” She trailed off, clearing expecting a last name.  
  
“He's a member here.” Louis helped, internally panicking. “You know John!”  
  
“Everybody knows John!” Harry said, scoffing slightly.  
  
“Big John?” Louis held his hand way above his head, gesturing at how tall their made-up character is.  
  
“I'm actually the membership director here, and I don't believe we have a single member named John!”  
  
Louis hummed, turning to Harry. “That's weird, _honey_.”  
  
“This never fails.” Harry mumbled.  
  
“Oh, wait!” She suddenly exclaimed. “Do you mean Jack Willit? They call him Jack, but I think his name's John.”  
  
“Yes!” Louis held his hand up again. “Big John Jack Willit!” He said, all together.  
  
“Yes, Big John. How could I forget?” Harry said. “After all the years that John and I have actually worked together, I forget that people still call him Jack!”  
  
The receptionist put on a slightly shocked face, running her eyes up and down Harry's flannel clad body and his blue skinny jeans. “Oh, you're also in the Senate?”  
  
Louis sighed, looking at Harry who answered, “Yes. Yes!”  
  
“Which state?” She asked, unimpressed.  
  
The two started talking at the same time, coming up with a different answer. An “Oklahoma” from Harry and a “Kansas” from Louis.  
  
“Kansas.” Harry concluded.  
  
“Well,” She said. “What a pleasure, Senator and Mr. Styles. Let me find someone who will give you the grand tour. Lucky us, another celebrity at Castle Hill...” She trailed off, still looking at the couple like she could see right in between their lies.  
  
“I'm actually a former model.” Louis said, wanting the attention back on him and leaning into Harry a bit.  
  
“Really?” The blond looked him up and down. “How long ago was that?”  
  
Harry snorted, and any trace of amusement was erased from Louis's atmosphere. “Why don't you just find that person who will be giving us that tour?” He snapped.  
  
“Just stay right here. I'll be back in two shakes!” She said, then turned around and walked down a long hallway.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Alright.” Louis said, speed walking into the expanse of a backyard, kids playing and adults drinking. “Let's split up. I'm gonna take the tennis courts and the pool, and you're gonna take the pro shop.”  
  
“You're just gonna run around asking people if they know a guy named Earl?” Harry said from beside him, reasoning.  
  
“Do you have a better idea?”  
  
“Learn from me, honey. You wanna know every dirty little thing that goes on at a country club? You have to ask the right people.”  
  
“Oh, and who would that be?” Louis mocked.  
  
“The caddies.”  
  
  
  
The couple walked up to a group of guys, dressed in all white, probably in their late teens, sitting around and talking.  
  
“Hey there!” Harry called before actually reaching them. “What's going on?”  
  
“Hey!” One caddie replied, his unruly hair hidden under a white cap.  
  
“Do any of you fellows know a guy named Earl?” Harry questioned. The men pondered it a bit before most of them answered, “No.”  
  
“No?” Harry sighed, training his eyes on the one caddy who didn't say anything, other than the greeting. The boy shrugged, lifting one of the corners of his mouth. Then, he bolted off. Around the railing and down the stairs, onto the field, he went.  
  
“Hey!” Louis called, confused.  
  
“I'll take that as a yes.” Harry said, before running after the caddy.  
  
“Wait! Where are you--?” Louis called after him before cutting himself off. “Harry!”  
  
Harry ran down the stairs, following the bright white. He found himself in a familiar situation as he did with Uncle Sam, only this time, he was dodging golf balls and not high school band geeks. Harry stumbled down a valley, finding himself right in the middle of the driving range.  
  
He quickly got over that, dunking his head and jumping the low ones, cursing his way to the end of the line. While he was too busy trying not to get a concussion, he lost sight of the runaway caddy.  
  
His eyes raked over the green fields before settling on a small, white dot frantically making his way up a large hill. Harry jogged a bit, panting after risking his fucking life back there.  
  
“A little out of shape there, senator?” Louis's voice came quickly up from behind him.  
  
When Harry turned, he saw that Louis had found himself a golf cart, slowing down to drive beside the jogging man. “This kid's got, like, twenty years on me!” Harry managed.  
  
“Oh, come on! Get in the cart.” Louis encouraged.  
  
“Only if you let me drive!” Harry said.  
  
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Louis said, offended.  
  
“That you're a sucky driver!”  
  
“I am not a sucky driver! I am a great driver.” Louis scoffed. “You know what? I don't have time for this. Get in! Come on!”  
  
Harry sighed whatever air was left in his lungs and reluctantly joined Louis in the cart.  
  
They made their way over a slight hill, scanning their eyes over the golf course. “Where could we lose him?” Louis squinted.  
  
“He knows the course better than we do.” Harry said. There was a caddy walking up from a sand pit, greeting a couple of golfers before holding up the hole's flag for some putters. “There!” Harry pointed.  
  
The caddy immediately took sight of the cart coming towards him, so he dropped the flag and ran down yet another hill.  
  
“Stay with him!” Harry shouted at Louis, already standing up a bit in his seat from anticipation.  
  
The cart drove as fast as it could, accidentally towards a large pond.  
  
“Harry!” Louis said, nervously.  
  
“Get right up next to him!”  
  
The caddy was running down the hill too, only a couple of yards from the driver's side of the cart. Only, Louis couldn't slow down to reach the boy.  
  
“We're moving too fast!” Louis screeched, voice breaking. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. “No!” Louis was so close to the pond now, he was never going to get out without crashing in.  
  
The caddy ran around to fast moving cart, to Harry's side. Harry jumped out, running a couple of feet before tackling him into the body of water. Louis's foot couldn't reach the break in time to miss the water either.  
  
“I got you, I got you!” Harry yelled, holding onto the boy who was trying to wriggle out of his grasp, paying no mind to the loud scream that came from his ex-husband when the cart splashed into the water.  
  
“That was not my fault!” Louis shouted, breaking up from the water, his clothes now soaked. He made his way through the murky water, hoisting himself up on the half-sunken golf cart.  
  
“I don't know anything!” The caddy insisted, being dragged to land by Harry. “The drugs, the cash, I don't know anything about it!”  
  
Harry laughed, reaching the other side of the cart. “I didn't ask about drugs or money!”  
  
“Good, because I don't know anything, I'm just a caddy!”  
  
”Well, then, why were you running?” Louis accused.  
  
“Look, I'm just a kid saving for colleg--” The caddy started, before Harry suddenly dunked him underwater for a few seconds, then bringing him back up. “Fine!” He gasped. “A jet ski, I'm saving for a jet ski!” The caddy confessed.  
  
“Who's Earl?” Harry questioned.  
  
“Okay, look, all I know is, he plays here as a guest with a couple of big shots every three or four months.”  
  
“Uh-huh?” Louis hummed, skeptical.  
  
“If you could call it that, the dude doesn't know the difference between a wedge and a ping-pong paddle.”  
  
“What's his last name?” Harry asked.  
  
“I don't know, I don't know anything about him!” The boy's voice suddenly went high pitched.  
  
“Why don't you use your college brain and think?!” Harry growled, and not in the sexual way that Louis used to love. This was some scary shit.  
  
Harry dunked him again when he didn't answer, a little longer than the last time, and then pulled him back up.  
  
“You can drown me if you want to, I'm not gonna know his last name, I swear!” The caddy gasped for air. “He's a big tipper, sometimes a hundred bucks!” He supplied. “Oh, he got me this!”He pulled open his now see-through button down, revealing one of the stupidest tattoos Harry has ever seen. And believe him, he has some of those stupid tattoos.  
  
“He got you a tattoo?” Louis said, shocked, glancing at…Is that a maple leaf? On the boy's skinny chest, over his heart.  
  
“When my girlfriend dumped me, yeah. He sent me to this place in Queens. Blue Ink. I don’t know, maybe he owns it or something!”  
  
Louis and Harry shared a look, because it was the biggest lead they had so far, so it was definitely worth the shot.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“ _Blue Ink Tattoo?_ ” A girl's voice answered.  
  
“Yeah, lemme speak to Earl.” Harry said, hand on the phone to his ear and one on the steering wheel while driving away from the country club.  
  
“ _He's not in_.”  
  
Harry pulled the speaker away from his mouth, whispering to Louis, “We got him.”  
  
“ _Tell him a Walter Lilly called._ ” Louis said, wringing out his shaggy, wet, gross hair.  
  
Harry turned back to the call. “Tell him a Walter Lilly called, alright?”  
  
“ _Alright, I'll let him know. Thanks._ ” The girl said, hanging up the phone.  
  
“Very nice work, detective!” Louis said, giving up on his hair, letting the wind dry it.  
  
Harry looked over, also soaking wet. “Hey, you...” He trailed off, pointing at the scum on Louis's neck.  
  
“You got some, uh...”  
  
“What?”  
  
“On your neck!”  
  
“What is it?!” Louis asked, frantically.  
  
“Its pond scum.”  
  
“Get it off, oh God!” Louis screeched, baring his neck to the driver. “Get it off, get it off, get it off!” He chanted.  
  
“No, it looks good!” Harry teased.  
  
“Get it off! Harry, not funny!”  
  
“Okay, okay.” Harry sighed, chuckling under his breath. “Calm down, calm down.” He reached over, taking a hand off the wheel, a picked at the seaweed-ish looking goop. “Got it!”  
  
“Oh my God, what else!” Louis ran his hands over his body, hoping to brush off any other garbage from the yucky pond water. “Where else is it?”  
  
“Hey, wanna see it?” Harry held it under Louis's nose in his palm. “Look!”  
  
“Get it out of the car!” Louis said, slapping his hand away.  
  
“Nah, I think I'm gonna keep it. Press it in a book.” Harry said, actually smiling. Not his confident smirk, his happy smile that used to always be on his face.  
  
“Oh, Jesus.”  
  
“So I'll always remember the special day we just had.” He teased.  
  
“See, you joke, Harry. But just look at us!” Louis said, as Harry tossed the muck out of the side of the car. “We are this close to solving a murder that nobody even knows has happened!”  
  
Harry's phone rang then, Harry picking it up and checking the ID. “Speak of the devil.” He told Louis.  
  
“Really?”  
  
Harry nodded, answering the call. “Hey, Liam. What's up?”  
  
“ _You need to get off the road, and I mean now._ ”  
  
“Yeah, this holiday traffic's a real bitch!” Harry said, looking at Louis, whose eyes had widened.  
  
“ _Half of New Jersey is looking for you!_ ” Liam exclaimed. “ _The other half it looking for your ex-husband, who is apparently a wanted felon, for what? I have no idea!_ ”  
  
“So much for 'what happens in Jersey, stays in Jersey', huh?” Harry joked.  
  
“ _Where are you, man? Exactly?_ ” Liam asked.  
  
Harry looked at Louis again, not exactly sure how to answer that.  
  
“What?” Louis questioned.  
  
“Listen _,_ Liam _,_ maybe you and I should meet for a beer later. You know, talk about old times _._ ”  
  
“ _Goddamn it, Harry. I can only protect you if you do what I say. And right now, I am telling you: Lay low, stay there._ ” And then a dial tone.  
  
“What?” Louis repeated.  
  
“He says we should get off the road.” Harry said, looking for a turn off or a place to stay for the night on either side of the road. “And I believe him.”  
  
“We are in the middle of nowhere!”  
  
“You know what?” Harry huffed a laugh. “I know exactly where we are.”  
  
Harry drove for a few more miles before turning at a bed and breakfast. He made their way up the long road, parking in a small lot not too far from the large house. Harry and Louis both got out, walking up to the familiar place.  
  
“Really? Here?” Louis said, feeling nostalgic. “And we couldn't have driven five minutes and find a Best Western?”  
  
“At least we'll be safe here until we find out what's what.” Harry said, their small bag in hand.  
  
“Think they're gonna remember us?” Louis asked, softly.  
  
“Are you kidding? Do you know how many honeymooners they've had since us?”  
  
The two climbed the small set of steps before ringing the bell, door opening a few moments later. Louis looked around at the porch, everything the same as they left it.  
  
“Can I help y--” The petite woman who stepped out onto the deck in her flow-y sundress cut herself off, taking in the faces of the couple. “Wait.” She said, before giggling a little. “It can't be! Edmund, Edmund! Come here!”  
  
Harry and Louis exchange a quick look before smiling awkwardly at the lady who checked them in all those years ago.  
  
“Looks like they remember us.” Harry mumbled through his grin.  
  
“You think?” Louis replied.  
  
“Be still, my beating heart!” exclaimed a man, walking out of the door from behind the woman, placing a hand on her back. “Listen, we get a lot of young marrieds here, but you two...” He trailed off, pulling his wife under his arm, asking her, “Have we ever gotten a couple more madly in love than these two?”  
  
Harry glanced at Louis, who was still looking intently at the couple in front of them.  
  
“No, no.” Dawn answered. “We still talk about you two. Honest to Betsy, as the quintessential Cupid's couple Cabin. I mean, Cupid's Cabin couple!” She corrected herself in her excited chatter. “Oh, you know!” She waved it off, giggling again as Harry joined in, chuckling.  
  
“Let's get you a nice room! Come on inside!” Edmund lead the younger couple in. This time, Louis looked over at Harry, them again sharing a glance that communicated more than words, before walking into the home.  
  
“Welcome back!”  
  
“Welcome, welcome, welcome.” The married couple gestured Harry and Louis inside.  
  
“Oh, would you look at that!” Louis exclaimed at the sight of the old living room.  
  
“Oh my goodness.” Harry agreed.  
  
“What, it's been three years?” Edmund asked.  
  
“Three years. Has it?” Harry said.  
  
“Oh my God, I don't even remember!” Louis shrugged, smiling.  
  
“So, you came back for your anniversary!” Dawn placed a hand on her chest, awwing. Harry looked at Louis, good timing. Louis seemed to grasp the look. “I do have to ask you my favorite question. How do you keep your romance alive?”  
  
Silence, from both of them. How were they supposed to answer that? Harry and Louis have been divorced for over two years, now.  
  
“Well, I gotta tell you, Dawn...” Harry trailed off, searching for the right words. Louis was interested in his answer, crossing his arms and looking at the stumbling man with a smirk on his face. “I'm not naturally the romantic kind of guy.”  
  
Louis hummed in agreement, looking back at Dawn and Edmund. “It's true, he's not.”  
  
Harry chuckled awkwardly. “I mean, I don't tend to go for cards or flowers--”  
  
“Actually, gifts of any kind.” Louis cut in before Harry could continue. “If it's your birthday, Harry thinks the best surprise is the gift of nothing.” He informed.  
  
Dawn and Edmund shared a laugh, thinking the couple was actually joking.  
  
“And you would probably have to put a gun to ol' Lou's head here to get him to actually say 'I love you'.” Harry played along, teasing Louis as the owners of Cupid's Cabin laughed and Louis sighed.  
  
“Well, that's true love.” Dawn giggled.  
  
“That is right!” Edmund put in. “Two people who know all each other's faults and weaknesses,”  
  
“And they just love each other all the more.” Dawn finished.  
  
“Thank you!” Edmund nudged his wife.  
  
Harry thought about that a moment, humming and actually sending a slightly fond look over to Louis, who did the same. Before anyone could elaborate, however, Edmund interrupted.  
  
“Oh gosh.” He sniffed. “The cesspool's backed up again. I gotta call the guy.”  
  
“Oh, no, honey. I think it's them, they’re a little stinky.” Dawn stage whispered to her husband, hand covering her mouth.  
  
“Oh!” Louis blushed, extremely embarrassed. “We actually, we crashed into a pond!”  
  
Harry laughed. “He was driving.”  
  
“Oh, my goodness, you two!” Dawn exclaimed, waving the two up the stairs. “Let's get you settled and then you can come back down for dinner.”  
  
“I'll get you some fresh clothes, pop those in the wash and they'll be done by bedtime.” Edmund said, pointed at their dry and slightly hardened clothing.  
  
Harry and Louis thanked them for the hospitality, making the way up the creaky stairs, Louis first and Harry behind him.  
  
“Excuse me,” Dawn stopped Harry. “But what happened to your neck?”  
  
Harry was confused for a moment, before remembering the Taser mark. “He Tasered me!” He said, dramatically. Louis scoffed and quickly went the rest of the way upstairs.  
  
Dawn was shocked for a moment and started laughing when Harry followed Louis. “He Tasered--? You’re too funny!” She laughed. “'He Tasered me.'“ She mocked in a deep voice before giggling even more.  
  
Jesus.  
  
Harry and Louis were freshly showered and dressed, sitting on the back porch, which was decorated with small, dinner tables for two and many paper lanterns lit up the area.  
  
Harry noticed Louis looking at him. “What?” He asked.  
  
“Oh, just this whole situation!” Louis said. “I mean, really. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.”  
  
“If you could see yourself in that outfit, definitely cry.” Harry snorted. None of Edmund's clothes fit Louis, since he was a very large man and Louis was quite petite. So, in the end, he had to borrow some of Dawn's clothes, which were a bright, long yellow v-neck t-shirt and skin tight leggings, since he had refused to wear one of her many sundresses.  
  
“What?” Louis smoothed down his shirt that was obviously made for the breasts that he did not have. “Says the man who couldn't decide which color to wear, so he wore them all!” He retorted. Harry fit in Edmund's clothes, but his fashion choice wasn't exactly stellar. He was wearing a button down shirt and matching shorts, only they were both pinstriped against white with every single color he could ever imagine.  
  
Harry just laughed, unbuttoning a few buttons from his top.  
  
“Do you remember when we broke that--?” Louis changed the subject, but Harry cut him off.  
  
“Yeah, I do.” He said, conversationally, while picking at the remnants of his dinner. “Although, I tried really hard to block that out, to be honest.”  
  
“Oh, really?” Louis rested his head on his hand, elbow on the table. “And how's that working out for you?”  
  
“What, being honest?”  
  
“Denial.”  
  
“Great, yeah!” Harry laughed, Louis joining in. “Until about an hour ago.”  
  
“Yeah.” Louis trailed off, looking past Harry at the flowers in the garden. “Why do people do that?” He asked, focusing once again on the man across from him, picking up his glass and taking a sip of his wine.  
  
“Why do people do what?”  
  
“Deny that they have ever done anything wrong in a relationship.” Louis elaborated. “I mean, why can't people just take responsibility for their shit and move on?”  
  
Harry looked at Louis, his voice scratchier than before when he softly asks, “Which people are you talking about?”  
  
“I don't know.” Louis sighed, playing a little with the ends of his hair and looking down at his lap. “You...Me.” He stopped himself, his eyes meeting Harry's once again. “Everybody!”  
  
“Maybe everybody's afraid.” Harry shrugged, head back and thinking of his own feelings. “That any admission of guilt would be seen as a sign of weakness.”  
  
“You know, that's where everybody's wrong.” Louis said. “I see it as a sign of maturity. Don't you think?”  
  
“Absolutely.” Harry raised his eyebrows.  
  
“I mean, life is about making mistakes.” Louis ranted. “Right?”  
  
“And death is about wishing you made a whole lot more.” Harry added.  
  
Louis's train of thought stopped right there as he pondered that. “Huh.”  
  
The silence carried on for a few more seconds. “Hey, I just made that up!” Harry said, proudly.  
  
“Look at you, Harry Styles.” Louis said, his smile as wide and as fond as the day they first met. “Well then,” Louis lifted his glass in a toast. “Here's to our big, fat, ugly mistake.”  
  
“The kind that knocks you on your ass.” Harry followed.  
  
“And makes you want to do them all over again.” Louis finished, clinking his glass with Harry's. They both took a sip before Harry abruptly pulled his away.  
  
“What do you mean?” He asked, catching Louis off guard.  
  
“Well, I.” He stopped. “Well, wait, wait. Which mistake were you talking about?”  
  
“No, you just. You just said that you had made a mistake.” Harry said.  
  
“I did.” Louis nodded.  
  
“So we're in agreement?”  
  
“But so did you.” Louis said, still in the dark.  
  
“Yeah, so we both made a huge mistake?” Harry confirmed.  
  
“By getting married?” Louis gulped, because that wasn't what he meant at all.  
  
“Oh, yeah. That, yeah.” Harry nodded, stumbling over his words.  
  
Louis looked down at his lap again, not able to meet Harry's eyes anymore.  
  
“And by getting divorced.” Harry choked out, and Louis's eyes widened, whipping his head up. “But, you know what, hey. I screwed up.” Harry insisted. “I screwed up, and I'm sorry.”  
  
“Sometimes, I...” Louis trailed off, trying to find the right words to reply to Harry's confession. “Sometimes, I really think it was all me.”  
  
“This is crazy.” Harry said.  
  
“I know.” Louis whispered.  
  
“But I kind of miss it.”  
  
“What?” Louis asked.  
  
“This.” Harry replied, gesturing at the set table and the lanterns and the music playing in the background. “Us. You know, you.”  
  
“But you don't even like me.” Louis said, sadly.  
  
“Are you kidding me?” Harry made a soft noise, half-grinning at the small, crazy, idiotic, amazing man sitting just across the table from him. “Of course I like you.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
A little after that confession, Harry and Louis went back to their room. They walked slowly, as if they were savoring the precious moment. Down the hall a bit, they came to their room and stopped the door that had ‘Bliss.’ written on it, as all of the different rooms had something of the sort written on it.  
  
They stood there for a minute, staring at each other in silence, which should have been creepy.  
  
“What are you thinking about?” Harry tilted his head, asking Louis curiously.  
  
Harry watched as Louis's face turned into a different expression, one of fond to something completely blank. “Nothing.” Louis shook his head.  
  
Harry waited only a minute longer, before taking a key out of the back pocket of his ridiculous pants. He leaned in closer to Louis, using the excuse of unlocking the door in his head. “Liar.” He whispered.  
  
Louis smiled, sarcastically. “That's the nicest thing you said to me all weekend.”  
  
Harry opened the door to the room, gesturing Louis inside before following him into the purple abyss.  
  
  
  
Louis reached into his bag on a chair in the bedroom and grabbed his phone before he entered the bathroom, taking off the woman clothes and throwing a fluffy white robe over his naked body. He picked up his cell phone, dialing a familiar number.  
  
“Hi, it's me.” He whispered when his mother picked up.  
  
“ _Oh, Steve?_ ” She asked.  
  
“No...It's your son, Louis. Who's Steve?” He momentarily forgot what he was calling about in the first place.  
  
“ _Oh, he's the drag queen who does Sunday nights. What's up, kitten?_ ”  
  
“Mom. Advice. Advice, advice, I need your advice!” He stated, getting back to the subject at hand. “Listen,” He sat down on the closed lid of the toilet seat. “I am locked in the bathroom of the honeymoon suite at Cupid's Cabin, and Harry is right outside the door.”  
  
“ _Lord in heaven_.” She exclaimed, and how drunk was she already? “ _You've barricaded yourself from him? That's hot._ ”  
  
“No, mom. Okay? Focus.” A knock from the door to the suite distracted him.  
  
“Room service!” A voice said. He'd let Harry get that.  
  
  
  
Harry opened the door to find Edmund with a tray full of a bucket of ice, two wine glasses and the rest of the bottle of champagne from dinner. “Hope I'm not interrupting! Dawn wanted me to make sure you got the rest of your champagne!” He said, holding it out to Harry.  
  
“Great, hang on.” Harry took the tray and placed it on the dresser.  
  
“Oh, and your clothes are almost dry, I'll have them up here in a jiffy.”  
  
“No rush! Might not need them for a while, if you know what I mean.” Harry over exaggeratedly winked. He reached over into Louis's bag, taking out his black wallet. “Hm, he must have a couple of bucks in here somewhere.” He searched, before pulling out a wallet sized photo. “What's this?” He asked himself before turning it around, finding it to be none other than a picture that was taken on their wedding day. If anyone asks, he did not tear up, but he was just overcome with nostalgia as he examined the old photograph. Louis and Harry were dressed to the absolute nines, their lips were interlocked, and white flower petals falling from the trees above them making it any couple's dream picture.  
  
His eyes were still trained on the picture when he walked back over to the door, “Thanks for the champagne.” He mumbled, shutting the door with his foot and cutting off Edmund.  
  
  
  
“ _So, what was this moment of honesty?_ ” Jay asked her son.  
  
“I don't know!” He whispered, frustrated. “We were down at dinner, and then it was, like, all of the sudden. I couldn't remember why I hate him.”  
  
“ _Well, what did he say?_ ”  
  
“He said he missed me.”  
  
“ _What?_ ”  
  
“He said he missed me and that he was sorry.” Louis said.  
  
“ _He actually said he was sorry?_ ” Jay gasped. “ _Was he taking your clothes off at the time? How naked were you?_ ”  
  
“Mom, we were on the patio.” Louis rolled his eyes.  
  
“ _You were naked on the patio? What can I say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree._ ”  
  
“Ma! We were at dinner, on the patio! There was no sex!”  
  
“ _And he said, 'I'm sorry'?_ ”  
  
“Twice.”  
  
“ _With no sex?_ ”  
  
“Yeah.” Louis nodded, realizing she couldn't see him but also that he didn't care. He sighed.  
  
“ _One sec_.” Jay pulled the phone away from her ear, Louis could hear her taking a gulp of something, something strong probably. Louis wished to be her so bad right now. “ _Open your eyes, honey. How often do people get second chances? I say, get naked and get busy!_ ”  
  
“You're right. I'm gonna go for it!” Louis said, and since he was already naked, he mentally prepared himself.  
  
“ _You do that!_ ” Jay encouraged. “ _Oh, and take your phone with you. One picture of his ass, that’s all I'm asking._ ” She said as an afterthought.  
  
“Mother, you are so dirty!” Louis scolded.  
  
“ _Thank you._ ” She said. “ _I love you, sweetie_.”  
  
“And I love you.” Louis hung up, setting his phone down on the sink space. He looked at himself in the mirror, trying to fix his frizzy air-dried hair and failing miserably. Oh well. If this goes as Louis thinks it’s going to go, Harry isn't going to be paying much attention to his hair.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Harry was having an important conversation of his own.  
  
“I don't know. Like, he's acting really weird.” Harry sat on the foot of the bed, whispering into his phone. “I mean, he admitted for the first time that the divorce was all his fault!”  
  
“ _Yeah? What'd he say?_ ” Teresa asked, clearly interested in the drama.  
  
“Well, I said that I screwed up a little bit. But then he said, 'No, Harry, it was me.' And then I find this picture? Tell me, do you keep your ex's picture in your wallet?”  
  
“ _Honey, number of times I've been married, they don't make a wallet that big_.” She said, sympathetically. Bells rang on her end, and Paul's voice.  
  
“ _I wanna do more camping._ ” A kid's voice whined.  
  
“ _This is camping! This is camping in dad's office. Just don't tell your mother._ ” Paul said. He asked Teresa who was on the phone, then picked up another line.  
  
“ _What's the problem now?_ ” Paul asked, Harry getting up to light all the candles in the room.  
  
“ _Louis keeps the wedding photo in the wallet. Numb nuts wants to know what that means_.” Teresa explained for Harry. He chose to ignore the insult.  
  
“ _I'll tell you what it means_.” Paul stated. “ _It means he hasn't cleaned out his wallet in over a year. You know,_ ” He continued. “ _I'm pretty sure that I'm carrying around a condom for 1987. Don't tell your mom that either.”_ He said to his kids offline.  
  
“ _You know something? I think that means that he loves you_.” Teresa cut in.  
  
“I think so too!” Harry said, excitedly.  
  
“ _Why do you care?_ ” Paul slammed his hand on his desk, a noise that was audible through the phone. “ _This man makes you crazy!_ ” He exclaims. “ _You drunk yourself out of a job because of him_.”  
  
“No,” Harry strongly disagreed. “I quit my job.”  
  
“ _No_ ,” Paul responded. “ _You were fired_.”  
  
“I quit, by getting myself fired.” Harry turned on a random CD he found in the player and turned off the bedside lamp, letting the candles light the room.  
  
Paul obviously heard the Barry White in the background. “ _Okay! You're thinking with your dick! How many times do I have to tell you? Stop thinking with your dick, alright? No dick thinking!_ ”  
  
“I am not thinking with my dick.” Harry rolled his eyes, back turned to the bathroom door, pouring champagne. He didn't hear Louis walking out, wearing absolutely nothing. “Look, even if I do get laid tonight, then it doesn't change a thing. I'm still bringing his ass to jail, alright? So just chill out.” He slammed his finger on the ‘End Call’ button.  
  
And Louis heard everything. He turned right back around, putting his robe back on, a disappointed look on his face. Of course, he wasn't expecting on to get out of jail by sleeping with Harry, but this was a low. This was Louis' low, actually thinking that Harry still cared about him.  
  
Harry turned around at the sound of a door opening and shutting just at quickly.  
  
“Hey.” His voice was deep and sexy, the way Louis always liked it. This time, though, Louis sped walked to the king size bed with the robe on, up and tucked under his chin.  
  
“Hey?” Harry said a little louder. Louis still ignored him, turning off the music and pulling all of the extra, decorative pillows off the bed and throwing them angrily onto the floor.  
  
“Uh, is everything okay?” Harry asked, now confused at Louis's behavior.  
  
“Why wouldn't it be?” Louis responded, tone light and free of the anger that his actions were showing.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to say something about it, but closed it and just shrugged. He was still leaning on the table with the wine on it. “They brought champagne.” He said instead. “I thought maybe you and I could--”  
  
Louis cut him off. “Well you thought wrong!” He climbed across the bed, blowing out the candle on the other nightstand. He moved back to his side, pulling the covers down and placing himself underneath, then promptly covering him back up.  
  
“What are you doing?” Harry asked.  
  
“I'm going to bed. What does it look like?” Louis retorted, muffled by being buried in the sheets.  
  
“A great big blast from the past, that's what!” Harry burst. “Oh, Louis shuts down again! Oh, boy, does this take me back.” He said, sarcastically. “Goddamn it.” He went around then, blowing out all the rest of the candles.  
  
“Well, if it look so fucking familiar, you know you're sleeping on the couch.”  
  
“Oh yeah?”  
  
“Yeah!”  
  
Harry snorted, picking up a mint for the bedside table and popping it in. “The hell I am.” He then promptly got next to Louis, under all the blankets.  
  
Harry chewed on the mint, mouth open and noisy. He could feel Louis rolling his eyes, looking over a few times.  
  
“Are you going to swallow that anytime soon?” Louis sassed.  
  
Harry smirked, shaking his head and humming a ‘ _no_.’ “Tastes great.” He said.  
  
“Oh, God. You're so...” Louis huffed, trailing off. Harry continued to chew. “That's it!”  
  
Louis got out from the covers, pulling a blanket from the end of the bed and taking his pillow. On an afterthought, he pulled Harry's pillow out from under him and making him hit his head on the headboard, the Louis slammed it into his face. Harry groaned in pain.  
  
Louis walked over to the window seat, making himself comfortable on the thin cushions, glaring over in Harry's direction. “Are you happy now?” He gritted.  
  
“Overjoyed!” Harry said, shortly, repositioning his pillow and put his hands under his head and closed his eyes and falling asleep, blissfully unaware of the plan forming in Louis's head.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
A slam of the suite's door woke Harry out of his REM. A dressed Louis appeared before him, holding his bag and Harry's car keys.  
  
“Oh? Sorry? Did I wake you?” Louis said. “I just want to say thank you, for a really lovely, lovely evening.”  
  
Harry rubbed his eyes with his free hand, only then realizing a handcuff around his wrist. The long chain was attached to the top of the headboard.  
  
“No, Louis!” Harry's voice still thick with sleep. He struggled against the restraints. “Louis, wait.” He tried to reason.  
  
“Tickles, huh?” Louis said, jiggling the cuff keys in his hand and turning around, out the door.  
  
“Hey, come back here!” Harry yelled after the man.  
  
As Louis leisurely walked down the hallway, he could still here Harry yelling and struggling to get out of the handcuffs. Oh how the tables have turned. Louis ran out the front door of the Bed  & Breakfast, to Harry's convertible to drive away.  
  
  
  
“Louis, I swear to God!” Harry yelled, jiggling and pulling the restraints until he ended up not-so-accidentally pulling the top half of the headboard off.  
  
He ran out the room, down the stairs and out the door, following the same path that Louis took. He got out the door just in time to see Louis take off in his car. “Don't you dare, you little shit! Louis! No! Wait! Come back here!” Harry shouted, carrying his headboard as he ran halfway down the driveway before giving up.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“What are you doing?” Niall asked, standing near the gas pump as Zayn opened the trunk.  
  
“I forgot my wallet.” Zayn said, reaching into the garbage bag full of money in the back of the trunk, to get some cash out for the gas, then shutting the trunk with a slam. He then started walking across the gas station lot to pay.  
  
“That's Irene's money!”  
  
Zayn never stopped, only holding up the bill for his partner to see. “It's ten dollars.” He called.  
  
“It's Irene's money!”  
  
“I'll pay it back!”  
  
“Irene will kill you.” Niall said, seriously. “Irene will have me kill you!” He followed up.  
  
Zayn approached the door then turned around to face Niall. He held up the hand holding the bill and gave Niall the middle finger before opening the door to the gas station.  
  
Niall rolled his eyes, just impatient for the fuel to stop its flow. He looked out onto the street, spotting a beat up, blue convertible speeding passed. “Zayn? Zayn!” He called over to the store.  
  
Zayn looked back once more, “Yeah?” He asked.  
  
“It's Styles' car!”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Harry, now fully clothed and headboard free, was pushed out the front door, the chains of the handcuffs that were still on his wrist clinking.  
  
“Listen,” Dawn started, angrily, giving Harry a folded piece of paper. “Here is a list of other bed & breakfasts in the area for your next visit!”  
  
“Thank you.” Harry said, taking it generously.  
  
“Come on, sweetheart.” Edmund walked his wife back into the house, slamming the door shut but not before telling Harry to never come back.  
  
Harry sighed, mumbling “Sorry.” He was the only one to hear it, though.  
  
Another car came rumbling up the driveway, something sleek, black, and expensive. The couple inside stopped in front of the steps and Harry saw an opportunity.  
  
“Park that for you, sir?” He asked the man.  
  
“Don't scratch it.” He said, snottily before handing Harry the keys and helping his wife out of the car, grabbing their bags.  
  
“Roger that!” Harry said, stepping into the car. He started it back up and waited for the couple to go inside before backing right back down the driveway.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Louis looked around for his stop before spotting Blue Ink and pulling into the parking lot. He parked and made his way through the small crowd of burly men with bushy beards and scarily huge, muscular women.  
  
He walked through the double doors and entered the black-lighted room. Of all the tattoo parlors he has been to, none of them have been this terrifying.  
  
He spotted a girl with pink hair, one half of it shaved off, and many piercings and tattoos working at the front desk. He coughed, straightening his clothes out before asking, “Excuse me?”  
  
She gave Louis a dirty look before returning to type on a laptop. “Pilates World is across the street.”  
  
Louis tilted his head, confused, before scoffing. “Well, no, I actually want a tattoo.”  
  
“Let me guess,” The girl rolled her eyes, “You want a cute little butterfly on your shoulder?”  
  
“Well,” Louis started, offended, ready to pull off his blazer and reveal his many, _manly_ tattoos before the girl cut him off.  
  
“We’re by appointment only.”  
  
Louis was pissed. He did not drive into a fucking pond for this.  
  
“Darla!” His thoughts were cut off as a man called from the back to the front desk lady. “Go get me some beers.” A large man walked through the back doors, and he looked at Louis up and down. “What do you want?” He asked, his tone unreadable.  
  
Louis took a step forward. “I want a panther.” He said, trying to make his voice as sexy as possible. “Down the length of my body.” He elaborated, gesturing down his side. “I want the paws to be around here,” He gently touched his collarbones. “and the mouth, the teeth to be about here,” He rubbed the flat area around his pelvis. “and the tail to wrap somewhere along here.” He finished, his finger trailing around his hips and over to his bum.  
  
The man smirked at Louis, before turning to Darla and telling her, “Cancel all my appointments.”  
  
Louis followed the man into the back room. He sat down on a seat in a dark area that the man led him to and watched him close the curtain to the outside.  
  
“I’m Bone.” The man – Bone – introduced.  
  
“Bone?” Louis asked, a bit nervous. “Is that short for anything?”  
  
“Boner.”  
  
“Boner.” Louis murmured, jumping in his seat a little as Bone sat down at his own stool. “That’s catchy.” He tried, continuing to the task at hand. “Is Earl here?”  
  
“Haven’t seen him.” Bone said, shortly. “Now, pull up your shirt. Give me a look at the canvas.” The man leaned back.  
  
“Yes,” Louis said, frantically. “Oh, yes. Do you mind, though, if I hit the head first?”  
  
Bone sighed, “Make it quick.” He waved.  
  
Louis all but ran out that curtain. He walked through all the other spaces, passing people getting all sorts of tattoos. He made it to the ‘Family’ bathroom, but he passed that, rushing down a hall. He opened the door at the end of the hall, entering what he thought was the boss’s office.  
  
It was very large and had a huge painting of a neon tiger on the farthest wall. He strolled over to the big, oak desk, shuffling through many papers and folders, opening and shutting drawers, looking for anything of importance. When he couldn’t find anything, he sighed, plopping down into the big, black chair and spinning around a couple times before stopping.  
  
“Oh, my God.” He whispered, spotting a picture on a table not too far away. He jumped out of the chair, picking up the frame. The picture would be normal to any other person, just a simple shot of a male bowling league. Three men were standing and the other three were kneeling, but what caught Louis’s eye was a single face. “Liam.” He whispered, looking at the man in the far right of the picture.  
  
His train of thought crashed at the sound of muffled groaning and someone kicking a wall. Louis, startled, put the picture back and following the noise. He found it filtering through the rafters of a locked closet.  
  
Louis tiptoed over, unhitching the locked and slowly opening the door. Greg glanced at the man opening the door, before perking up when he saw it was Louis.  
  
“Greg, oh my God!” Louis exclaimed, tearing the duct tape off of the bound man’s mouth. “Okay, okay. Come on!” He went back to the desk and pulled out scissors, and cut free Greg. He started talking loudly before Louis shushed him.  
  
“ _Oh, and a Walter Lilly called._ ” Darla’s muffled voice said. “ _He didn’t leave a number_.”  
  
Earl is here.

“Come here, this way!” Louis frantically whispered, leading him and Greg out the back door. But before Louis left, he grabbed the framed picture. He made it out the door right before Earl walked in.  
  
Yelling and the slamming of a door could faintly be heard before Louis and Greg were too far away.  
  
“The guy’s a cop!” Greg explained to Louis, who was running right behind him.  
  
“I know!” He said.  
  
“And a drug dealer!”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“Isn’t that against the law?” Greg shrilled.  
  
“Yeah, last I checked!” Louis turned a corner, end of conversation. They found themselves back in the lot, at Harry’s car.  
  
“I heard him on the phone.” Greg slowed down, panting. “He was arranging some meeting with a guy named Liam.”  
  
“Liam?” Louis hopped into the driver’s side of the car, Greg to follow. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Yeah!”  
  
“I got a better question.” A voice said from behind them. Louis shrieked when a gun was pointed in his face by an extremely attractive, dark-haired man. _Come on, Louis, you’re probably going to die, don’t worry about what your murder looks like._  
  
The blond next to him started speaking again, his Irish accent thick, “Where the hell is Harry?”  
  
Greg groaned, placing his head in his hands. “I’m having the worst weekend.”  
  
Louis remained silent as the bearded _god_ pointed the gun at Greg. “Who is this person?” He asked, to no one in particular but the blonde answered.  
  
“How would I know that?” He exasperated.  
  
“Nobody. Nobody. I’m nobody!” Greg said, quickly.  
  
“Well, that’s wonderful. Now, is Nobody gonna get out of this car?” The beauty sarcastically said. “Or, are we gonna put a big hole in Nobody’s head?”  
  
“Run.” Said the blonde.  
  
Greg glanced over at Louis, whose mouth was gaping and his eyebrow’s raised. “No, Greg!” Louis exclaimed as he fumbled with the handle, opening it and shutting it just as fast, running across the lot and far away.  
  
“Your hair shimmers like sunlight on the ocean.” The dark-haired man said, smirking a bit and pointing the gun in Louis’s face.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Harry quickly figured out where he knew where Louis was, quickly pulling into the parlor’s lot and parking the expensive car he stole. He got out after parking next to his own car, when his phone rang.  
  
He pulled it out of his pocket and snorted at the name on the caller ID, but answered anyway.  
  
“ _You are such a dick, you know that?_ ” Louis’s voice came through the phone, without the greeting.  
  
“Yeah? You know what you are?” Harry retorted. “You are an emotional cripple, that’s what. You’d rather hunt down a guy who’s trying to kill you than deal with the guy who vowed to put up with your shit for the rest of his life.  
  
“ _You know what?_ ” Louis defended. “ _You wanna talk? Let’s talk about an eleven thousand dollar gambling debt. Call that getting a handle on it?_ ”  
  
“ _Hey, not what I told you to say_.” A voice said in the background.  
  
“ _I know, I know. Sorry_.” Louis whispered, obviously trying to not let Harry hear.  
  
Harry could hear a lot of noise in the background of the call, music and shouting. He looked around the lot, eyeing up the sign that said,  
  
“ **Double D’s** **  
Gentleman’s Club** ”  
  
“ _Hello. As you can see, we have your boyfriend._ ” Niall said, taking the phone from Louis and talking to Harry himself.  
  
“ _I’m not his boyfriend!_ ”  
  
“No, he is my boyfriend.” Harry said. “But, I’ll tell you what, why don’t you keep him. Call it square.” And hung up.  
  
Harry took one look at the mustang and immediately recognized it as Niall’s, so he searched for a way to get in. When he tried, all of the doors were locked. As a solution, he pulled his gun out of his holder and simple shot the lock on the trunk. No alarm rang out, because Niall was a stupid idiot.  
  
Harry opened the trunk, searching for something that could be of use. He spotted a black garbage bag, pulling it open and realizing it was full of cash. “Holy shit.” He mumbled, this could be helpful.  
  
Harry’s phone rang as he took out some of the bills.  
  
“Let me guess, he’s driving you nuts already.” He answered.  
  
“ _Damn it, Harry, they are not kidding_.” Louis whined.  
  
“I wish I could help you, sweetheart, I really do. There’s just one small problem.” Harry said, walking into the strip club with the bag of money. “You handcuffed me to Cupid, remember?”  
  
“ _How was I supposed to know that a couple of Neanderthals wanted you dead?_ ” Louis snapped into the phone.  
  
“ _Whoa, not a couple!_ ” Niall exclaimed.  
  
“ _Why would you think we’re a couple?_ ” Zayn stuttered.  
  
“You know what, put Bottle-Blonde on the phone.” Harry said, walking through the crowd.  
  
There was some shuffling, then a, “ _Hello?_ ”  
  
“Really, Niall? Since when do bookies kidnap people?”  
  
“ _Uh, yeah, it’s a little outside of my jurisdiction, but we’re under new management._ ”  
  
Harry spotted the three men sitting at a table. “Well, tell your partner he’s got about five seconds to release Louis or I’m gonna ruin the rest of his life.” He threatened.  
  
Niall pulled the phone from his ear, “ _He says release him or else. I’m paraphrasing._ ” He told Zayn.  
  
“ _Bring it on!_ ” Zayn yelled into the speaker.  
  
“ _Did you hear that?_ ” Niall asked.  
  
“Yeah, you know what? Put Lou on the phone.” Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
“ _What?_ ” Louis asked.  
  
“Tell your pals I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”  
  
Louis pulled the phone from his ear to tell Niall and Zayn. “ _He said he’ll be here in 20 minutes!_ ”  
  
“ _That’s good, that’s good_.” Niall said, sipping at a cocktail he ordered.  
  
Louis went back to his conversation, moving a little in his seat. “ _Wait, Harry, I--_ ”  
  
Harry cut him off. “ _Stop shifting in your seat. Tell them you have to use the bathroom_.” Louis looked back, meeting Harry’s eyes. “ _Don’t look around! Just do it_.” He instructed, then hung up.  
  
  
  
“Okay, if he’s not here in 20 minutes--” Zayn started, before Louis talked over him.  
  
“I need to pee.” He said.  
  
“You need…?” Zayn sighed, looking at Niall.  
  
Niall simply shrugged. “Let’s go pee.”  
  
“Okay.” Louis said, getting up from his seat, the rest to follow. They walked in between the staged of almost-naked women, dancing on poles.  
  
Louis walked into the ladies’ room out of habit, thankfully the men didn’t question or follow him in.  
  
“Oh, God.” Louis put his bag down on the sink’s counter, looking at himself in the lighted mirror. He called Harry.  
  
“ _Yep?_ ” Harry answered.  
  
“Oh, please tell me you have a plan.”  
  
“ _Stay put until I come get you_.” He said.  
  
Louis nodded and replied, hanging up.  
  
  
  
“Wait a minute.” Zayn said.  
  
“What?” Niall asked.  
  
“Louis said he’d be here in 20 minutes.”  
  
“So?”  
  
“So,” Zayn elaborated. “He never told Harry where he was.”  
  
“Ho, ho, ho, ladies! Happy Fourth!” Harry’s voice carried through the whole club.  
  
“Oh, shit!” Niall exclaimed.  
  
“What?” Zayn asked.  
  
“That is Harry Styles!” He pointed to the man, throwing tons of money on the stages and tables.  
  
“Here you go! Everybody have a good time!” Harry yelled, the bills flying everywhere and wreaking havoc, everyone trying to get some.  
  
“Oh, shit!” Zayn said this time.  
  
“What?”  
  
“That’s Irene’s money!”  
  
Zayn and Niall took off after Harry, who was still throwing the cash around.  
  
They seemed to agree on the same thing, try and collect as much money as possible before trying to catch Harry and cut his body up into little pieces. The couple was lost in the crowd, fighting their way to get the paper as Harry pranced away, bag empty.  
  
  
  
Harry busted into the ladies’ room to find Louis sitting down. “Time to go! You all right?” He rushed, Louis nodding and standing up. “Okay. Car keys in the bag?” Louis nodded again. “Good. Let’s get the hell out of here!” He reached into the bag, looking for the convertible’s keys.  
  
Louis sighed as Harry searched the bag. “Why can’t you be this guy all the time?”  
  
“I am this guy all the time!” Harry scoffed.  
  
“No. A hotshot detective that I fell so madly in love with. Instead, you’re this bounty hunter who’s always bragging about getting laid.”  
  
“Oh, wait.” Harry finally pulled the keys out, turning to Louis. “Is that what you’re pissed about? I was talking to Paul! What am I supposed to say, that I’m sweet on my boy again?”  
  
“Yeah! Yes, you say it! If that’s what you mean, you say it.”  
  
"Because you’re so honest about your feelings?”  
  
“All I’m saying is that this night could’ve gone a lot differently if you had.” Louis huffed.  
  
“Yeah.” Harry said. “Just like our marriage.”  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
“Some detective I turned out to be. I can’t even figure you out.” Harry teased, lightening the mood. He took hold of Louis’s arm, gently leading him out of the restroom and rushing them out of the club.  
  
  
  
Niall and Zayn were still in the middle of the mob of people. Zayn was trying to push off the stripper who was on Niall’s back, pulling him into a choke hold.  
  
“She’s strong for a stripper!” Niall gasped, Zayn finally able to get her off. She stumbled back, knocking into the bar, but recollecting herself. She grabbed a large vodka bottle and swung. “Watch out, Zayn!”  
  
Zayn was able to dunk in time, but not Niall. She rammed the bottle straight into Niall’s head, it shattering into little pieces. Niall stood there in shock for a minute before falling forward onto his knees. He looked up at a gaping Zayn and whimpered, “That was very painful.” Before passing out.  
  
Zayn turned to the stripper, threatening. “I’m gonna kick your Amazon ass!”  
  
“Shut up, you little pussy.” She said, throwing a punch directly into Zayn’s jaw, knocking him unconscious as well.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“ _Twenty Seventh squad, it's Sheeran.”_ A voice answered on speaker.  
  
“Hey, Ed, it's Harry.” Harry said into his phone, cruising down a highway with Louis in the passenger seat, hanging on every word in the conversation.  
  
“ _Hey, Mr. Styles! What's up?_ ”  
  
“Listen, I'm looking for Liam. I called his cell but he's not picking up. Is he there?”  
  
“ _With you not being on the force anymore and everything..._ ” Ed trailed off, hesitant to give Harry any information.  
  
“Hey, Ed, I don't really have a lot of time. You used to follow me around and kiss my ass, you still into that?”  
  
“ _Yes sir!_ ” Ed answered, proudly.  
  
“Well, pucker up. Where's Liam?” Harry questioned, again.  
  
“ _On his way to the depository.”_ Ed said, quickly.  
  
Harry looked over at Louis, “Why? It's the middle of the night!”  
  
“ _Lieutenant's got us working a double shift in order to complete the move._ ” Ed explained.  
  
“What move?”  
  
“ _To the new facility! I heard they had to inventory something like 194,000 pieces of evidence_.”  
  
“Thank you, Ed. Take it easy.” Harry hung up, looking back over at Louis for his input.  
  
He smirked, saying, “That must have been quite an audit.”  
  
“Do you know what happens to evidence when a case doesn't go to trial?” Harry quizzed.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Not a damn thing.”  
  
“So, it just sits there? Forever?”  
  
“Ripe for the picking.” Harry said.  
  
  
  
Harry and Louis pulled into the depository parking lot, turning off the car, remaining in their seats. They were waiting for quite a bit before Louis whispered, “I'm hungry.”  
  
“Tell you what, I'll wait for Liam. You can take the car. There's a great pizza parlor on Yonkers, anything but peppers.”  
  
Louis snorted, seeing right through Harry's attempt. “There is no way you're getting rid of me on this thing.”  
  
Harry sighed. “I wouldn't let you drive my car anyway.”  
  
Louis just let out a small laugh. “That was an accident.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“The whole N.Y.P.D. thing! The reason I got arrested? Make all the jokes that you want, but I am an excellent driver.”  
  
“Wait.” Harry said, shifting in his seat towards Louis. “Your rap sheet said you assaulted an officer. What, are you saying you ran over a cop?”  
  
“I didn't run over anything!” Louis said, rolling his eyes.  
  
A smile played a Harry's lips, making his dimples appear for the first time since this incident. “Then what did you do?”  
  
“Nothing!” Louis insisted. “I was late for a press conference. Traffic was stopped, so I thought I could squeeze by and I grazed it.” Louis said, shrugging.  
  
“You grazed a cop?”  
  
“No, I grazed a _horse_.” Louis admitted. “Okay? Are you happy? A big, dumb, old police horse who's big, dumb, old police ass swayed in front of my car as I was trying to pass it.”  
  
“You hit a horse?” Harry let out one of his larger laughs.  
  
“I tapped him!” Louis said. “I tapped him. There was one, little _tuft_ of hair on my bumper!”  
  
Harry couldn't reply through his laughter, tears springing to his eyes.  
  
“Seriously! I could go to jail!” Louis whined at Harry for being so inconsiderate.  
  
“Yeah, for like, years!” Harry exaggerated, stomping his foot on the floor of his vehicle, bringing his hands up to wipe at his tears. “You're the world's worst driver.”  
  
“Will you just be quiet.” Louis huffed, crossing his arms and sitting back. It was in this moment did the couple see Liam's car pulling into the parking lot, driving right past Harry and Louis and into a space closer to the building.  
  
Harry sighed, all of his laughter ceasing, looking at his best friend get out of the car and into the building.  
  
“Now, listen. We don't know anything for sure, alright?” Louis said, placing a delicate hand on Harry's shoulder. “Maybe it's not what it looks like.”  
  
“It's almost always what it looks like.” Harry looked at Louis with disappointment in his eyes.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Liam walked into the large building, taking an industrial elevator to the floor he needed. He opened the caged doors just as Earl walked by.  
  
“Hey, Liam, I've been looking all over for you. You get my message?” He asked.  
  
“About the missing drugs? Yeah.” Liam said.  
  
“Well, we've got a major problem, you know that?”  
  
Liam stuttered for a moment. “Yeah, yeah we do.”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Harry and Louis entered the door to the depository. The two walked over to the gated area, a security guard met them there.  
  
“Can I help you?” He asked.  
  
“We’re here to see Liam Payne.” Harry answered.  
  
“Can I tell him what it’s regarding?”  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“Put the bag down, Earl.” Liam said.  
  
“What, this?” Earl gestured to the paper bag full of various drugs. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He questioned, yet still placing the bag on a shelf nearby.  
  
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Liam sighed, staying in his spot.  
  
“There, the bag’s down. You know, I gotta--” Earl reached behind him, pulling a pistol out of his holster. Liam was on the same step, also pulling his gun, but Earl got a shot in first, hitting Liam’s right shoulder and effectively taking him out for the time being.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
Gun shots were heard from the other room, so Harry reached between the bars and grabbed the security guard’s collar, pulling him against the gate. “Buzz me in. Now.” Harry demanded.  
  
The guard pressed a button on the wall, unlocking the doors. Louis sprinted to the large metal doors across the room and opened one, telling Harry, “Got it.”  
  
Harry released the man and followed Louis up the stairs, taking out the semi-automatic and holding it out in a defense position, pushing Louis behind his back to protect him.  
  
They walked out onto the third floor. Harry turned and shushed Louis before taking a few steps ahead to check around the corner before waving Louis over.  
  
Louis was distracted, taking in the room. It was full of shelves, and those shelves were full of packaged evidence, most of which contained some form of drug.  
  
“Pssst!” Harry hissed, waving Louis over once again, this time Louis actually followed. He tiptoed over to the armed man, who was hiding behind a pole.  
  
Harry once again pushed Louis behind his back, slowly walking through the shelves, clearing the area. However, something caught Louis’s eye.  
  
He patted Harry on the shoulder, who, startled, began to take aim.  
  
“Jesus, no!” Louis whispered. “Look,” He pointed over to the open elevator, “there’s blood.”  
  
They rushed over to the scene, finding Liam writhing on his side on the floor in pain.  
  
“Oh, my God!” Louis quietly exclaimed. “Liam!”  
  
Harry knelt down, checking out Liam’s wound. “You okay, partner?”  
  
“What the hell are you doing here?” Liam said instead.  
  
“Looking for some answers.” Harry replied, turning the bloody man onto his back.  
  
“Who shot you?” Louis asked.  
  
“Earl Mahler.” Liam said, voice thick. “Yeah, I’ve been tracking him for the last couple of weeks. After he murdered Walter. Walter Lilly.”  
  
Harry and Louis shared a look at that, before Liam continued. “He’s got my gun.”  
  
“What...?"  
  
Louis started, before Harry kissed his head, stood up and whispered, “Stay with him.”  
  
“Where are you going?” Louis protested.  
  
“Stay with him.” Harry repeated.  
  
“Where are you going?” Louis said, this time a bit firmer.  
  
“I’ll be back, baby, alright?”  
  
Harry walked out of the elevator, gun in his hands.  
  
“He’s gonna be alright. He’s a good cop.” Liam reassured a nervous Louis.  
  
“You’re a good cop. Look what happened to you.” He snapped.  
  
“Oh, yeah. You’ve got a point.”  
  
Louis rolled his eyes, and stood up.  
  
“Hey, where are you going?” Liam stage whispered.  
  
Louis shushed him, turning around and going back out into the room full of shelves. He walked through a couple before he spotted Harry between the pieces of evidence, with Earl close behind him.  
  
“Drop it!” Earl said, the barrel of his gun at Harry’s head. Harry threw his gun on the floor, putting his hands up and surrendering. “You were easy.” Earl teased.  
  
“Oh, God.” Louis whimpered at the sight. He looked around, trying to find something, anything, to help the situation.  
  
“You already shot one cop, shooting another one’s not gonna help things with the jury.” Harry said.  
  
“You’re not a cop.”  
  
“Well, that’s just hurtful.”  
  
“Get down on your knees.” Earl instructed. Louis still searched the shelves, rubbing the stress lines on his forehead.  
  
“My knees, they’re not so great, you know. Took a jump off a roof.”  
  
“The last thing I care about is your knees, your health.” Earl spat. “Now, get on your knees.”  
  
Louis watched as Harry stepped down, one at a time. He looked up, trying to keep his tears in, then spotted a long box on one of the shelves. A rifle.  
  
“Now what?” Harry asked.  
  
“Should have minded your own business.” Earl said.  
  
“You’re not concerned about your future?”  
  
“It’s time for you to go, asshole.”  
  
A cocking of a rifle was heard behind them, both of the men freezing in their places, but neither looking back. A high-pitched voice rang out.  
  
“Drop it!” Louis said, shakily. “And I’m the only one who gets to call him ‘asshole’!”  
  
Harry smirked.  
  
“Better tell your girl to--” Earl was cut off by a round being shot at the contents of a bag above his head.  
  
Louis cocked the rifle again. “That’s for calling me a girl!”  
  
At that, Earl spun around, aimed, and shot at Louis. Louis let out a shriek and ducked just in time, the bullet hitting a shelf behind him.  
  
Harry pushed Earl against the cement block wall, punching his face. “That’s” Punch. “For” Punch. “Shooting.” Punch. “At my” Punch. “Husband!” Punch.  
  
After Harry was done being the shit of the guy, Earl dropped to the floor, unconscious. Harry kicked his gun away and walked over to help Louis up.  
  
–––––––––––––  
  
“So, Earl Mahler was using Walter Lilly to gain access to the narcotics cage.” Louis rephrased.  
  
“That’s right. He was gonna come clean but by the time I got to his apartment, he was already dead.” Liam explained, sitting in the ambulance.  
  
Harry crossed his arms. “But there was no proof it was Mahler?”  
  
“Right.” Liam confirmed, looking over at Louis. “If it wasn’t for that parking ticket, he might have gotten away with it.”  
  
Louis smirked because he was the one to find that evidence.  
  
“That’s because you’re a hell of a reporter!” Harry said, proudly, pulling Louis into his side.  
  
“Thank you.” Louis blushed.  
  
“But you did get one thing wrong.” Harry said.  
  
“Oh, are you kidding? Come on.” Louis rolled his eyes.  
  
“I’m just saying.”  
  
“Liam, it looked really bad. It really did. I mean, your name was on the suicide report.” Louis accused. “The bowling alley photo!”  
  
“I walked you down the goddamn aisle.” Liam gasped playfully.  
  
“That’s what I said!” Harry exclaimed.  
  
“Wait, you’re serious?” Liam asked. “You really thought I was involved?”  
  
“Yeah, he did. But, then, you know, he never liked you.” Harry laughed.  
  
“You know what? I never liked your ass either.” Liam teased.  
  
“Oh, whatever.” Louis rolled his eyes again, walking out of Harry’s arms to give Liam a kiss on the cheek. “I gotta get this story in.”  
  
Louis waved, making his way to the end of the street to catch a cab when his phone rang. “Hello?” He answered.  
  
“ _I just want you to know that it is over!_ ” Nick yelled, slurring as his body was still on the powerful drugs. “ _You and me, we are through!_ ”  
  
“Nick? Are you drunk?”  
  
“ _No, that is the after effects of the horse tranquilizers that were injected into my now-broken leg by a local veterinarian, Louis! Oh, we had something beautiful and special and rare, but if these are the kinds of people you hang out with, you can forget it!_ ”  
  
“Well, it that’s the way you really feel…” Louis said, trying to hold in his laughter.  
  
“ _Wait, no, no, no. Wait, no, hold on. No, no, no, stop. Are you admitted that we had something beautiful, special, and rare?_ ”  
  
“Nick, I really gotta go, okay?”  
  
“ _Okay, you go! But just know you have given my heart wings. For moments ago, I was barely able to walk, but now, now I will run to your side with the--oh, goddamn!_ ” The sound of a thump and some groans could be heard through the phone, it seemed as if Nick has fallen.  
  
“Nick? Hello?” Louis rolled his eyes and gave up, hanging up on the man.  
  
  
  
“Do you know what I really wanna do?” Louis asked Harry, leaning over to the man in the driver’s seat.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I wanna blow off this story and I wanna take you home.” Louis whispered in his ear, nipping at the skin behind his ear and sitting back down in his seat.  
  
Harry shuddered a bit at the move and smirked. “Yeah?”  
  
“Oh yeah.”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“But, I gotta get this story in before anybody gets wind of it.” Louis sighed. “You understand that, right?”  
  
Harry shook his head, sarcastically. “Oh, totally. Listen, I get it, I get it. You’re just doing your job.”  
  
“Yeah.” Louis said, shocked at Harry’s answer.  
  
“Yeah!”  
  
“Thank you!” Louis breathed.  
  
“That’s not gonna be an issue this time. We both will sometimes have to put our job first. It’s like that, right?” Harry elaborated.  
  
“Yeah. Yep. But after…” Louis trailed off.  
  
Harry looked over and smirked again.  
  
“We’re actually doing this?” Louis asked.  
  
“Yes, we are.”  
  
Louis smiled brightly, excited for his new not-so-single life, but then Harry took a sharp right turn in the opposite direction of Louis’s home, and the force pushing Louis into the window.  
  
“Why are we pulling over--?” Louis took a look around, finally realizing they were in the police department parking lot. “Here?” Harry just smiled, overly baring his teeth. He put the car in park, getting out and walking over to Louis’s side. Louis gasped. “No. You wouldn’t!”  
  
“Oh, but I would.” Harry said, pulling his love out of the car and turning him around to cuff him, with a bit of a struggle, then leading him through the doors. “I told you I was bringing you in. And we have, oh, five minutes to spare!” He said, looking at the clock. He brought him to the front desk, pulling out his bounty hunter badge and hearing Louis’s huff. “Don’t be mad, babe, because we’re never gonna get this marriage going again if you come into it with a lot of anger and resentment.” He showed the cop the badge.  
  
“I would like to be taken into custody, please.” Louis gritted through his teeth to the man behind the desk.  
  
“Officer?” He called to a woman, she then grabbed one of Louis’s arms behind his back and led him to a holding cell.  
  
“Let’s go.” She said, sitting Louis down at a desk.  
  
“Aren’t I entitled to a phone call?”  
  
  
  
Harry signed a couple of papers after watching Louis go, then turn and walked out the building.  
  
“Oooh, it’s the bounty hunter.” A voice said from behind him. “How was your weekend, asshole? Did you ruin anymore parades?”  
  
“Actually, the rest of my weekend was pretty quiet.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Until now.” Harry deadpanned, throwing a punch right into the cop’s jaw, knocking him over onto the windshield of a registered police vehicle.

The cop led a restrained Harry back into the building and straight into the holding cell. On the way, he passed Louis who was on the phone with his boss.  
  
“It’ll go to the internet edition, and all media outlets will have to come through us directly to get details. Great. Thanks!”  
  
“Using your one call to phone in a story. That is so you.” Harry teased as Louis hung up, then was led to the cell next to him.  
  
“What are you doing here?”  
  
“It’s a special night, remember? No way are we not spending it together.” Harry said, then turned his attention to the cop putting him in his cell. “Hey, can we go in the same cell together?”  
  
“Get in the cell, dickhead.” The cop rolled his eyes, pushing Harry behind bars as Louis’s cop did the same.  
  
They met at the bars separating the two, just looking for a while, before Louis said, “You’re crazy.”  
  
“Maybe I am.” Harry chuckled, before waving Louis closer to him. “Come here.”  
  
Harry reached through the bars, placing his hands on his hips and pulling him even closer as Louis places his arms around Harry’s neck.  
  
They met in the middle, lips locking for the first time in two years. To the both of them, it was one of the best kisses they have ever had.  
  
Harry was the first to pull away, whispering against Louis’s lips, “Happy anniversary, sweetheart.”  
  
Louis smiled against Harry, tugging at his curls, “Happy anniversary, Harry.”  
  
“Hey, what do you think about getting remarried?” Harry asked, suddenly. “Starting all over. We can have a ceremony, a honeymoon?”  
  
Louis’s eyes widened. “Oh my,” He whispered, a little unsure at the proposition.  
  
“You don’t have to say yes now, it can be at any time, of course. I mean, hell, we only spent a weekend togethe--"  
  
Harry was cut off by Louis’s lips against his own, once again. It was just a quick kiss this time, but it was answer enough.

 

 


	2. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I love you, Harry," 
> 
> "I love you more, Lou," Harry whispered, pulling Louis against his chest. 
> 
> And Louis was so glad to be home--in Harry's arms--again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELCOME
> 
> frick ok listen man i wanna thank abby bc she actually wrote the smut for me which is something i was imcapable of doing at all. abby ur still cooler than zac efron 
> 
> ALAYNA YOU HAVE BEEN WITH ME FOR IT ALL AND I LOVE YOU FOR THAT THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH
> 
> thats all enjoy

Louis's hands shook as Liam helped into the jacket of his white tux.

"You know, you're lucky I got you out of jail or else you wouldn't even be here, getting married right now." Liam said, taking the piss, as usual.

"Would you get over that already? It was four months ago. I'd rather still be in jail than here, right now, if I'm honest." Louis snapped, looking up at himself in the mirror in front of him and fixing the light green bowtie around his neck.

"What do you mean?" Liam placed his hands on the soon-to-be married man's shoulders and spun him around, staring him down.

Louis didn't meet his gaze, fiddling his fingers. "I'm just so nervous, Li. This didn't work out last time, what am I gonna do if it doesn't work out this time either?"

"Louis." Liam said. " _Louis_ , look at me." Louis looked up at the stern face. "Listen, it's going to work out. It's always worked out. You've now realized what life is like without each other, and it was obviously not a good one."

"But Liam-"

"No buts! I am not having any of it!" Liam said, pulling Louis into a tight hug. "Tonight is going to be perfect and you know it. Are you ready to get out there and walk down that aisle again with me?"

Louis nodded meekly into Liam's chest. "I love him, Li." He whispered.

"I know you do. Now, come on, babes, I'm gonna give you up for good this time around."

 

The setting sun was streaming through the large windows lining the walls in the room, the makeshift aisle covered in red rose petals and a slow piano balled filled the still air. Louis gripped Liam's arm hard as they made their way down, rows of white chairs on either side of them. As Louis walked, his eyes laid on Harry for the first time since this morning. His hair was slick back and his tux was black, opposite to Louis's, and his bowtie was the brightest blue.

He had tears in his eyes when he spotted his soon-to-be husband walking arm in arm with his best friend. Anyone would agree that Harry was the luckiest man in the world, to have such a beautiful groom.

Everyone who attended the ceremony could clearly see how they look at each other, like it was the first and last time they will ever be able to.

Louis gave his fiancé a watery smile, his hands still slightly shaking when Liam helped him step up onto the slightly raised alter, giving him a kiss on the cheek before he left to sit down.

Louis's shaky hands met Harry's oddly calm ones in the middle, letting their officiant begin the ceremony.

"Alright, you two, take a _deep_ breath, everything's gonna be okay, it'll all be over soon." Paul joked. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Harry's boss and longtime friend. I am honored to say tha we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the married between these two lovebirds up here, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson." Louis and Harry flushed and giggle with each other, the audience joining them.

"It's great to see so many of you here, especially those who traveled great distances or went to great lengths to be here today. I know the bonds of family and friendship are very special to Harry and Louis, and they are so happy that you could be here today. And we are happy, for the bond of love that has grown between Harry and Louis.

Louis, you have had a profound impact on Harry. Though you guys were divorced for some years, you two have been happy to spend any time together these past few months. I'm surprised, at how caring and nurturing Harry actually is in your presence, Lou." Louis laughed loudly. "Honestly, I haven't seen Harry so happy than I have these past few months. Prior to getting back with Louis, Harry was not unlike a criminal, hard-hearted and independent, and capable of mass destruction. You, Louis, were a brave soul, always able to find out how to crumble down his walls and shoot bullets of love into his heart." The audience, again, chuckled at that ridiculous example, though they will not deny that it was true.

"Okay, in all sincerity, we are glad that you took Harry's heart and we have full confidence that you will take care of him. _Now_ for the serious part. Marriage is dedication. You give yourselves, your life and your love, into the hands of the one you love. You do so, trustingly and generously. And by the same token, each of you receive a gift; the life and the love from the other. You receive this gift, not only from the one you love, but by also from the parents who brought you into this world and the friends and family who are joined together through this marriage in friendship and in faith.

Now Harry, that was a little bit wordy, and I know you're good at math so I wrote down an equation for you. Marriage equals love plus patiences plus kindness minus selfishness plus compromising divided by stubbornness multiplied by 1 to 3 children." Louis blushed, Harry threw back his head and cackled loudly, along with the people in the crowd.

"I joke because there's really no words that I can say to tell you how to make a marriage work. But, I look at both of you and I can see a strong foundation. I see it in the faces of friends and family, parents with young children and parents with kids that are grown up and moved away, grandparents and great-grandparents. I'm confident that the only advice that you may need someday will be readily available for you from those who love you.

Harry and Louis have now prepared their own vows for each other. Harry, if you would?" Paul prompted.

Harry took a deep breath, pulled out the paper in his jacket and started. "Louis, I've always known we were meant to be together. I've known since the day I met you, when my lungs stuttered at the knowledge that somebody could exist so beautifully. " He said, struggling with his tears. He looked up from his paper at Louis, who was already crying and then he didn't feel as bad.

"And letting you go was the stupidest fucking mistake I've ever made. I couldn't think straight without you--always drowning myself in alcohol until I forgot my own name just so I didn't have to remember yours.

You make me fucking _crazy_ , but I'm crazier without you. I promise I'll never let you go again." Harry finished, giving Louis a watery smile and looking proudly out at their guests and officiant who were already sobbing.

"Louis?" Paul croaked.

"Okay, first of all, fuck you because mine aren't as great as that." Louis tried, that got a laugh. He took a deep, shuddering breath, similar to Harry. "I remember when I first left you. I didn't know what to do with myself--or all these damn tattoos. I felt so lost without you, like someone had broken my legs and told me to run. I didn't know where to go without you to lead me.

And even though you're a fucking idiot and you get on my damn nerves more than anybody else, your arms are the only home I've ever known. And I promise I'm never gonna leave you again."

Paul paused to wipe at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, trying to get back into serious mode. "I wish nothing but the best for your marriage and your futures, and just as we are here today, your friends and family are here for you and will stand beside you and be behind you always. I have the rings here, or also as they have been dubbed by me, 'the world's tiniest handcuffs'." Paul said, only understanding Harry and Louis a little _too_ much.

"Harry, will you hold Louis's left hand, please?" Harry took Louis's still-shaking hand in his. "Okay, now here's the ring. Do you, Harry, take Louis to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, in richer and poorer, for as long as you both shall live?" Paul asked.

"I do." Harry vowed.

"Then put that ring on there!"

Harry giggled, slipping the simple silver, platinum ring past Louis's knuckles on his thin ring finger.

"Okay, Louis, your turn. Please take Harry's left hand." Paul instructed, Louis doing just that. "Do you, Louis, take Harry to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in richer or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Louis choked, voice thick from happy tears building up and threatening to fall again.

"Now, place the ring on his finger."

Louis shoved it on as fast as he could, probably taking some of Harry's skin off, but neither of them noticed.

"If there is anyone who feels that these two should not be brought together, let them speak now and we will kindly have you removed from the country." Everyone laughed yet again, no one jumping from their seats. "No? Okay. By the power invested in me from the World Wide Web and the state of New Jersey, I now proudly pronounce you to be husbands. Harry, you may kiss your boy!"

And, of course, Harry would be the one to romantically and dramatically dip Louis in his arms and lock their lips together in a passionate kiss. Louis gasped and smiled into the kiss, placing his hands on Harry's face as he brought them both back up. Friends and family cheered them on, clapping and whistling at the now married couple.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Mr. and Mr. Tomlinson-Styles!"_

 

Harry and Louis raised their intertwined fingers up in the air when their DJ announced their entrance into the reception. They walked onto the dance floor in the middle of the tables, the DJ informing the large crowd of the couple's first dance, then started playing their chosen song, The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra.

Harry pulled Louis close to him by the hands around his hip, swaying them both in time with the music.

Louis had his hands on Harry's shoulders, and rested his head in the crook of his husband's neck. "This is all so surreal, I can't believe we're married again." He weakly teased.

Harry chuckled in the shorter man's ear. "I know, I never thought you'd actually, willingly, want to be back in my arms."

"I never thought you'd even let me in them again." Louis admitted.

"Well, you're here now, right? Nothing else matters."

"You're right." Louis looked up, with so much fond in both of their eyes. "I love you, so so much, Harry."

"And I love you, Lou." Harry leaned down, pecking Louis on the lips.

The song soon ended, their guests cheering and ' _aww_ 'ing at the couple. They walked to their table in the front of the room, Louis almost immediately shredded his jacket, placing it on the back of his chair and revealing his white button down paired with his green suspenders.

The minute the they sat their bums on the chair, however, the sound of clinking glasses rang through the air. Louis rolled his eyes looking over at Harry, who threw his head back and laughed. He turned to Louis and quickly pressed their lips together.

 

Four hours, three tear-jerking speeches, two ridiculous slideshows, and one dinner later, it was 9 o'clock and Louis was grinding up against Harry with a drink in his hand. The bass was shaking the walls as everyone was out on the dance floor, even Harry's grandma.

"I can't wait to get to the room." Harry huskily whispered into Louis's ear. "Gonna fuck you so hard tonight."

Louis shuddered, reaching a free hand up behind him and gripping onto Harry's hair.

"You want that, babe? Or do you just want me to take you right here?"

Louis rolled his ass down harding into Harry's crotch.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Louis opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Zayn ruined their little moment. "Alright, everyone, we're gonna take a quick break, it's time for cake!"

"Oh, hell yeah, babe, cake!" Niall's distinct Irish accent rang through the large room.

Louis, sweating and aroused, broke from Harry's front and grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the dessert table. Harry's hair was all over the place and his tousled button-up was half open.

The guest followed and watched them as they both picked up the decorated knife and smiled at each other, despite the clothed sex that was going on at the dance floor. Their lips locked as they smoothly cut through the middle tier of the large towered cake, pulling away as they placed the piece on a plate. They both picked up a little bit of the cake in their hands, Harry went in first as Louis opened his mouth, feeding him the delicious cake. Louis, however, as he went to do the same thing, but he failed to contain his evil smirk and smashed the cake against Harry's face.

Harry gasped, chuckling loudly. This time, before Louis could think, Harry grabbed a handful of the dessert and slapped it on Louis's cheek.

All of their guests laughed at the couple, and Gemma, Harry's sister, yelled, "Now, kiss!" and slammed a fork loudly against her drink's glass. The rest of the guests joined in, and Harry and Louis kissed once again.

Louis smiled widely, not even able to contain his happiness anymore. Tonight was no doubt, one of the best nights of his life.

 

Hours later, the newly-wed couple was speeding down the road in Harry's blue Delta 88 with the hood down.

(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry by Darlene Love rang through the crisp December air. Louis sang along gleefully, thinking that it couldn't get any better than this.

They pulled into Two Ships Inn, which Harry had chosen from the list Dawn and Edmund had given to him upon banning him from Cupid's Cabin.

Louis waited while Harry checked in, an anchor of nervousness sitting in his stomach. _This is it. Don't screw it up._

Harry took Louis' hand and led him down the hall, grinning from ear to ear.

"Are you excited?" Harry asked.

"Harry, what if I'm not good?" He whispered, staring at his shoes sheepishly. "I don't want to disappoint you."

"Lou, are you kidding me?" Harry took Louis' chin in his hand, looking into his eyes. "You'll be great. You could never disappoint me."

Louis pressed his lips against Harry's gently, grinning into the kiss. Harry sighed happily, wrapping his arms around Louis' waist.

Gently biting Louis' lip, Harry's hands traveled down to Louis' ass, squeezing softly. Louis giggled and pushed against Harry's chest.

"C'mon, let's get you in bed," Harry whispered huskily stumbling over his own feet as he walked backwards toward their room.

"Charming as ever," Louis giggled.

The couple entered their room, Harry gently pushing the door shut while Louis took in their room.

"It's beautiful, Harry," he breathed.

"Not as beautiful as you," Harry smiled dopily.

"Oh, how original," Louis rolled his eyes, kissing Harry and pulling him toward the bed.

Louis laid against the pillows, grinning up at Harry as he crawled on top of him and kissed his nose.

Harry reached down to unbutton Louis' pants, but Louis stopped him.

"Lou?"

"Harry," Louis sighed. "I haven't been with anyone since our divorce. I probably won't be good." He blushed, avoiding Harry's gaze.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I haven't been with anyone either, Lou. If you're not good, I'm not either, so it won't make a difference. Now, how about I eat you out?" He winked.

"Well, if you insist," Louis teased.

Harry kissed him softly, tugging on the hem of his shirt and murmuring " _clothes off_ " against his mouth. Louis pulled away, shredding his shirt and tossing it carelessly on the floor.

After removing his pants, Louis looked up to find Harry nude and leaning against the doorway striking his _best_ model pose.

Louis rolled his eyes fondly, "You're a pain in the ass."

"I will be in the morning." Harry sauntered over to the bed.

"Dick," Louis muttered, running his hands down Harry's sides.

"You want mine." Harry whispered, grinning at Louis. Louis smiled fondly.

"Now kiss me, you fool," He pulled Harry against his lips.

Harry pulled away and flipped Louis over, kneeling above him and taking it in.

Louis was so beautiful. Harry ran his hands down his back, stopping at the top of his bum.

"Have you quite finished?" Louis murmured into the pillow.

"I _have_ quite finished," Harry retorted.

"Well, get on with it, then."

In response, Harry leaned down and ran his tongue over Louis hole. Louis' breath hitched.

Harry licked over his hole a few more times before nudging his tongue past the rim. A few breathy moans escaped Louis' mouth.

Harry kneaded Louis' thighs, reveling in the feel of them as Louis ground back against his face. Harry soon pulled back and hopped off the bed, leaving Louis whining at the loss.

"Hold on, love," Harry whispered, picking up his pants off the floor and pulling a packet of lube from the pocket. Crawling back on the bed, Harry murmured to Louis. "Turn over, babe, wanna see you when I fuck you."

Louis whimpered and rolled over as Harry coated his fingers in lube. Harry leaned down and nudged his nose against Louis' thighs, spreading them further apart. He pushed a finger into Louis' hole, moving slowly, giving Louis plenty of time to adjust.

He added another finger, stretching Louis slowly,

"Missed you so much," Louis breathed out. "So fucking much."

Harry dipped his tongue into Louis' hole alongside his fingers, and God, he'd missed this as well. Louis was just as beautiful as he remembered.

"God, Harry," Louis moaned loudly.

Harry added a third finger, nudging against Louis' prostate. Louis gasped and bucked his hips up.

Harry pulled away, generously coating his dick with lube. He leaned forward and kissed Louis, murmuring " _I love you, I love you, I love you_ ," against his lips.

He pushed the head of his dick into Louis' hole, slowly moving forward. Louis whimpered softly.

Harry waited, giving Louis time to adjust to his size. Louis squeezed his eyes shut, moaning softly ( _God_ , he was hot).

"Move," Louis breathed. Harry moved slowly, running his fingers along Louis' sides. Louis threaded his fingers into Harry's hair.

"So beautiful, Lou," Harry whispered, nibbling on Louis' collarbones as he rubbed against his prostate. Louis moaned loudly, tugging on Harry's hair. Harry moaned, wrapping his fingers around Louis' dick.

Harry stroked Louis' quickly, thrusting against his prostate and sucking lovebites into his skin.

"Fuck, Harry, I'm so close," Louis choked out. Harry ran his thumb over Louis' slit, pressing their lips together hungrily. Louis came with a cry, squeezing around Harry. Harry moaned loudly, stroking Louis through their orgasms.

Harry pulled out slowly, kissing Louis' tummy. He grabbed tissues from the bedside table and wiped the come off of Louis, lying down beside him and pulling the blankets over them.

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, kissing him passionately. "You still know just what I like," Louis whispered sheepishly. "I love you, Harry,"

"I love you more, Lou," Harry whispered, pulling Louis against his chest.

And Louis was so glad to be home--in Harry's arms--again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and ok again send me hate if you didnt like it BUT IF YOU DID you should totally leave kudos and comments and stuff bc im obsessed with checkin those out yo 
> 
> my sucky blog is [smittenkittenlouis](http://www.smittenkittenlouis.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> (ART CREDS TO THE GORGEOUS imdamuffins ON AO3 HERE ((i cant find their tumblr dang son)) I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THAT PICTURE MAN IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY) 
> 
>  
> 
> IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR YOU ARE A BLESSING TO THIS WORLD 
> 
> did you hate it? did you love it? was it only OK? let me know in the comments 
> 
> also give me kudos.
> 
> AND IF YOU SEE ANY GRAMMAR MISTAKES TELL ME THAT AS WELL


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